List Day: 10 Children's Books You've Never Read

An instructional text for young readers, reminding them that everyone occasionally gets constipated -- it's perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Light-hearted pictures illustrate the various ways to combat a backed up drainpipe, from bran muffins to enemas.		Gently normalizes the lifestyle of a single mother and her daughter as they flee from state to state, avoiding unsympathetic judges, and the custody rights of a deadbeat father.
A cautionary tale of a puppy's encounter with childhood obesity, from playing too many video games and watching Blue's Clues.		This picture book describes one child's farewall to our sun as it transitions to a red dwarf star and eventually goes out, abandoning the Earth to eternal darkness and chaos.
The heartwarming tale of a little puppy who dreams of someday becoming a member of the LAPD K9 Unit.		A cautionary tale of daddy's sexuality set against the backdrop of the Renaissance, when daddy is accosted by a charming dandy at the local tavern.
A clever retelling of the classic Ugly Duckling tale, in which the ugly duckling's siblings post cruel remarks on her Myspace page for their own amusement until she commits suicide.		A delightfully subversive right-wing tale of a little steam engine re-equipped with the latest in Green solar panels that fails to make it over the biggest hill in the land after the sun goes down and it starts to snow.
An early introduction to the concepts of water conservation, concluding with a whimsical comparison of toilet tank cleansing products.		This unauthorized biography traces the early years of the Grey's Anatomy star from her humble beginnings as a simple Swiss farmer's daughter.

List Day: Screen Porch Features and Configurations

• Elevated table fronts window to basement, allowing pass-through of food trays and drinks without having to open heavy doors one-handedly.


• Plastic, lightweight chairs allow for quick rearranging based on where the sun is during the day (rollup shade for potent sunset sun still in shipping limbo somewhere between here and Georgia).


• Minimal permanent furniture allows for easy conversion to summer yoga studio.


• Small plastic bin for easy access to paper plates and plastic silverware rather than a permanent garishly wicker cabinet.


• Overhead fan has 3 settings and a seasonal switch that goes from suck to blow.


• Pleasant view of forest and bird feeder.


• Third folding table for carryout food allows for a safe-distance visit with friends and family, where we play games like "Spit on Someone From 8 Feet Away" and "What Else Can You Lick In Here?".

End-of-the-Month Highlights Day

New photos have been added to the Life, 2020 album.

• Events
  • Video chat with the Uri grandparents on T 5/5.
  
  
  • Video chat with Mike, Annie, Sam, and Kristen on W 5/6.
  
  
  • Got Maia a blue scooter on H 5/7.
  
  
  • Safe-distance Mother's Day visit from the Uri grandparents on S 5/10.
  
  
  • Safe-distance visit from Rebecca's parents on S 5/16.
  
  
  • First Costco run since February on W 5/20. Maia reunited with Nolan for a short outdoor scooter ride. Smashed my middle toe moving furniture in the evening.
  
  
  • Safe-distance visit from the Uri grandparents on S 5/24.
  
  
  • Safe-distance visit from Rebecca's parents on F 5/29.
  • Safe-distance visit with Tammy and Zoe on S 5/31.


• Projects
  • No interesting side projects this month.


• Consumerism
  • Still playing Elder Scrolls Online.
  
  
  • Enjoying new music by AJR and the Fratellis this month.
  
  
  • Enjoyed watching Dead to Me, Season Two.
  
  

May's Final Grade: B-, at least it's getting warmer!

Memory Day: Snapshots

This picture was taken 13 years ago, on May 26, 2007.

I was hosting a Memorial Day barbeque with the usual folks that also enjoyed a good poker game: Chris, Kathy, her brother, Jeff, Ben, Anna, Rosie, Jason, James, and Jack. Not pictured is Diana, who is off-camera holding a 7-week old Ella while Anna plays.

This party evidently took place before craft beer was a thing, as all there was to drink was Yuengling and Corona. Also, I came in first place for the first time ever!

Review Day: Quarantine Shopping Experiences

Safeway on Sterling Boulevard:
Constantly out of stock on staples like milk, eggs, and meats. No interesting beers anymore. Great fresh bagels. Produce may have been scooped out of a Medieval midden. Most employees wearing a mask, half of patrons.

Final Grade: D

Giant on Dranesville Road:
Great fruit and vegetables. Sporadic availability of nice-to-haves like disinfectant wipes, yeast, and ribeye. Everyone in masks.

Final Grade: A

Costco on Route 7:
More people than expected, not as many as there could have been. Everyone in a mask but most patrons still oblivious to surroundings. Everything in stock but toilet paper. Worth it for a once-a-month trip.

Final Grade: B

Chuy's at Cascades:
Online ordering and well-oiled curbside operation. Food tastes great at home.

Final Grade: A

Sweetwater Tavern on Route 7:
Excellent ordering and curbside operation. $2 to-go pints. Delicious food that stays good after travel (other than fries, which get a little soggy). Slightly pricey.

Final Grade: A

Joe's Pizzaria on Sterling Boulevard:
Delicious comfort food and the best pizzas overall. Super fast, safe delivery.

Final Grade: B

Fireworks Pizza at Cascades:
We love this place in-person and really want to support them, but the pizza was small, cold, and disappointing by the time we got home.

Final Grade: D