Nala vs. Bedsheets

This weekend's main event featured the furryweight champion of the HoP, Nala the Wonder Kitten vs. Bedsheets. A highly anticipated match, this one was standing room only.





Kitty relaxing before the big fight. She radiates assured confidence, or is it cat-like indifference?



She was vicious out of the gates, and the match quickly escalated to a tug-of-war battle of the wills (teeth and thread-count, respectively).



The dominance was not to last. As you can clearly see, the bedsheets got the upperhand in the end. Nala the Wonder Kitten was pinned.



And she's buried for the count. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...



Escape! Let's face it folks, kitty cat barely got away with fur intact.

Seriously though, we were just trying to make the bed. Silly furball has to be in the middle of EVERYTHING. Good thing we love her so much, and get such a kick at her expense.

Rachel Ray would be jealous

Okay, so maybe not. However, we're excited to have a new stove that actually works. We're not exactly sure how old the former stove was, but it was at least old enough to legally drink.

In loving memory...

Matthew William Houlihan 11/05/80 - 10/03/00

I Must Persuade You Another Way

I regret to inform you that the charming and clean-cut couple who lived in the House of Payne were temporarily kidnapped by these nutty folks:



Just kidding. In all seriousness, Andy and I were thrilled to be able to go see our favorite band, Tool, in concert this weekend with my brother, Nate. For those of your who don't know, Andy and I were introduced by a mutual friend (love you Jane!) because she was somewhat disturbed by the fact that we kept quoting the same lines from Tool songs at the approximately the same time. And yes, once we were introduced, the bulk of our early conversations centered on our opinion of a certain song, or a previous concert. I guess it is safe to say, we owe our friendship and relationship to this particular band. We're inviting them to the wedding. You think I'm kidding....

Who knew that beneath that calculating, suit, tie and sunglasses super-spy exterior beats the heart of a true rebel? I love it.

In Print

As you all know by now, Katie is working for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. One of the many perks of her job is that her name is now in print for tens of thousands of people to see. One of the perks for our readers (that would be you) is that you get to see a sneak peek of her name in print!



To see Katie's name in print for yourself run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore (or wherever fine magazines are sold) and pick up a copy of the below issue. The issue is full of wonderful bits of information.

The Way Life Should Be

Well, we've finally returned after a lovely vacation in Maine. It was a perfect combination of leisure and productivity (we looked at a fair amount of reception sites). This post is going to be a long one, so let's get to it.



The first stop on our grand tour of the Pine Tree State was a quintesential Maine landmark that happened to also be within a short drive of the airport in Portland. (Andy learned the hard way on this trip that a "short drive" in Maine typically takes between 45 minutes and an hour.) The truth is, I haven't been to the Portland Head Light in years, so it was my idea to go.



I think it was worth it.



Here we are enjoying a picnic at Ocean Point in front of "our" summer house. For about 6 or 7 million dollars, we could lose the quotation marks... ummm, let's just say we're okay leaving them there for now.





A few pictures of the view from "our" house. The tide was about as high as I've ever seen at Ocean Point, and the waves were crashing like crazy. Ocean Point is my favorite spot in the world. There's just something about the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves, soothing and exciting at the same time. Always makes me feel like I'm home.



The next day, my parents and I decided to drag Andy to the other side of Maine: the western lakes and mountains. We took a drive up to Rangeley. We stopped first at a little spot called Coos Canyon. None of us -- including my folks! -- could remember stopping at this spot before, so it was new and exciting. Pretty leaves, too.





The water that runs through here is typically known as Swift River. As you can see, this "river" left much to be desired.



Important discussion. Of course.



From there it was onto a spot know as "Height of Land." I think the name is pretty self-explanatory. Lakes and mountains as far as the eye could see.



Now you understand why they call it The Pine Tree State.

And finally...



We stopped at Smalls Falls. My parents used to come here on dates when they were just young and in love.





Looks like history repeats itself. :o)

Somebody's Getting Married...

So it appears that after a few months of diligent coercion, I've finally convinced Andy to buy the cow. Yes, that's right... Andy asked me to marry him and I said "yes." As I imagined, he came through with a very romantic and memorable proposal; too much to explain in a short blog post. If you want more details, don't hesitate to call us; we love to tell the tale.



The roses were a big part of Andy's master plan. Good thing I love roses.



It really is impossible to get a shot of the ring that will do it justice. All of you will have to see it in person to understand what I mean. It is gorgeous; I couldn't ask for a better ring or, for that matter, a better man to spend the rest of my life with. He's smart, funny, handsome, and a Red Sox/Patriots fan... I love him with all my heart, and I can't wait to start our lives as husband and wife. Perhaps next fall...



...somebody get the preacher, somebody get the cake... No, really. Some of you need to help us out with all the planning for this shindig. You've been warned.

Cat Diary

Day 127:

It's been four months now since my servants moved me into this new place. I hear them laugh and refer to it as "The House of Payne;" they think they're so funny. Try being stuck in here day and night! I see the neighborhood cats playing outside from the windows and sometimes I can't help but long for freedom. On the other hand, though, it seems ridiculous to wander so far from my food dish. That is about the only thing the servants are good for, putting food in my dish. Those silly humans tease me with a ridiculous feather on a stick and actually believe they're getting amusement at my expense. If they only realized the fun I have at theirs; nipping at feet as they walk to the shower in the morning, choosing the exact moment they're busy with something else to decide I want to be affectionate, batting shiny (and often expensive) objects off tables... so much fun. I hear a noise; I think one of those poor shmucks has just cleaned my litter box and I really must go try it out. Goodbye for now, diary.

It Begins Again

Andy and I switched gears this afternoon from art to sports. As anyone from New England is aware, today was the Patriots' season opener. We're very fortunate to live within easy walking distance of one of the best places in the area to watch a Patriots' game.

We got there early and got some good seats. Good thing we did, too, 'cause the place was PACKED by kickoff time. As someone who rarely gets to watch her favorite team with a group of other fans, it was great to have the opportunity to cheer and jeer with the crowd.


As you can see, I didn't enjoy Andy taking my picture nearly as much. I did, however, get my revenge...


With that look on his face, you'd think the Patriots lost the game. It's going to be a fun season.

Cultured Bananas

It was a very artsy weekend here in Alexandria. We spent some time yesterday afternoon perusing the Arts Festival of Alexandria.


They shut down about 7 blocks of King Street near the waterfront, and it was jam packed with art booths, people, and dogs. Apparently, in addition to being "man's best friend," dogs are also amazing art consultants as well. While surveying one of the booths, I actually witnessed a woman ask her little toy poddle if "she liked that one." How does the dog say "yes?" Lift a leg?


While there was a lot to see, only one artist struck a nerve. David Schmidt is a Virginia artist known for his photographs of bananas. What's the big deal with bananas? Well, you really have to see it to understand. I got such a kick of of his work that I bought one called "Cultured Bananas."


You can imagine why I like this one. It cracks me up. To see more of David's work, check out www.bananaphoto.com. Just hilarious.


Andy and I followed up with a trip to the theater. We saw Cabaret. Excellent show. Neither of us have seen it before, so it was a lot of fun. The theater was great as well. We're going to see Noises Off in January if anyone wants to join.

Workin' for a Livin'

My first paycheck as a regular in the working world after six years as a poor college student. I must say, it does feel good to bring home the bacon. Even if it is just one measly strip.

All (Hamilton) Hands on Deck

In an effort to enjoy our Labor Day off, Andy and I got together with some Hamilton friends and took a drive up to Annapolis, Maryland. For those who don't know, Annapolis is home to the United States Naval Academy, and is a generally picturesque little spot.



You see what I mean.



I just had to get a picture of the Mary Land Inn. I looked around for a sign explaining why it is spelled that way... but to no avail. I fully expected a thought-provoking explanation regarding the early spelling of Maryland and how it relates to the earliest settlement of Annapolis. Oh well. I guess this is an interesting tidbit of history that I'll have to wonder about.



If you look past Andy's head, you can just about see the Annapolis waterfront. This picture was taken at the top of Main Street looking down towards the water. Just a really cute area -- but not as cute as Old Town, of course.



We asked a local for a recommendation on the best oysters in town and ended up at The Middleton Tavern. Like most of this area of Annapolis, the Tavern has been around forever. It felt like walking into a history book; I love that feeling. I can't vouch for the oysters, but the crabcake sandwich was scrumptous.



Andy is not nearly as successful at smooth talking our friend Meghan Stasz as he is smooth talking me. Maybe that's why he keeps me around.

We also ventured onto the USNA campus, but were quickly bored by the scenery (not one of the young officers in training was running shirtless :o( ). We made our way back up the hill to the car after a pitstop for some ice cream. It was the perfect end to a great day with friends.

22nd Birthday, Take 5

Last night we went out in DC to celebrate the 5th annual celebration of one of our friend's 22nd birthday. We dinned at a very good Lebanese place. While we were waiting for our table we noticed that none other than Thomas Friedman (who you would hope would be knowledgable about good Lebanese food) was dinning there as well. Good enough for Thomas Friedman, good enough for us. We'd love to show pictures, but neither Mr. Friedman nor the lady of the hour was signing autographs. Maybe next year. Overall the celebration was a success and we look forward to the 6th annual celebration next year.

Special Request

We've had a special request for pictures from our trip a year and a half ago to New York City to see the Gates in Central Park. So... here they are:











If you want to see more, and we have plenty, you'll have to come visit.

F Words

FREEDOM: noun; [free-duhm]; the feeling of euphoria that follows a government decision to end your six-week-long, late-night servitude; a concept contingent upon the whim and circumstance of an unstable situation. "Andy's newfound FREEDOM will hopefully not be shortlived."





FLOWER: noun; [flo'er]; a pretty object that adds that special something to a room, particularly a dining room; something given in celebration of a big event -- for example, a new job. "I'd like to thank my parents for the lovely FLOWERS. They look great in our dining room."



FELINE: noun ['fe,lin]; a four legged fur-ball of the cat variety, often found disobeying orders/requests; a creature who enjoys dining on everything but its own food. "Nala is a silly FELINE. This is the umpteenth time we've told her to stop nibbling the flowers and get down off the table."