I love to watch my husband load the dishwasher. He does this meticulously, like he does most other things, and while I routinely make fun of him for it he also knows I love him for it.

Seriously, in this photo he's individually weighting the measuring cups so they won't flip over and fill with water.

This was a menu item at a restaurant in Old Town San Diego today. Randy thinks that there is an employee on staff in the kitchen to hand- moisten each crustacean, but I'm not so sure.

What's your best guess? And, does this sound even remotely yummy to you?

Thursday morning, mom and Randy and I all went to the airport. Mom went back to Minnesota, and Randy & I flew to San Diego for a few days of exploring, dining, and relaxing. This is the first trip we've taken together, just the two of us, since we went to Guatemala in 2005.

On the way to dinner last night I stepped off a curb, caught a rough lip of concrete, and turned my ankle (much like ec's ankle turn in Mexico, but much less severe). I'm hobbling a little, but I don't think it's sprained.

I look at this as reinforced relaxation.

Also? We discovered that Trader Joe's in California sells Trader Joe label 12 year Aberlour scotch. Almost makes me want to move here.

This means a return to embroidery, reading, and painting!

And, of course, sensible waterproof shoes.

What, pray tell, does this mean?

Dear interpreter who called to make an appointment for your client:

There is a vast difference between a "non-English-speaking person" and a "non-speaking English person".

While I do not doubt that both categories of people would require your assistance, only one would continually interrupt you with loud exclamations in Russian, making it nearly impossible for me to hear you.

Love,goatygoat

At the Mexican joint up the street, the one with the great black and white oil paintings of classic Mexican cinema stills, Randy pointed out the window during the appetizer: “look, honey!”

It was a sheep, grazing happily about fifty yards away.

Fifteen minutes later he pointed again: “Look!”

It was a sheep and a baby sheep!

A few more minutes passed: “LOOK!”

A tiny white goat!

And a few minutes later there was a rooster!

It’s like someone knew my day just needed some farm animals to take me deliriously over the top.

That’s been the drill lately, with things getting better and better. We moved into our new little rental house on September 1st, and managed to get the place mostly in order by the time the Turkletons arrived last weekend. That was a super fun trip! We went to the Pike Place Market, hiked up Tiger Mountain, ate a LOT of cheese (still feeling the effects of that, btw), and just generally had a great time being together.

This weekend, while I had to work on Saturday, Randy sold the shed and watched as it was lifted and moved to its new location overlooking Lake Washington. The new owners really appreciate the amount of work that went into its construction, and while we’re sad to see it go we know how we’ll build it better next time.

We also hired a guy to tow our trailer to the place we’ll be storing it. I have been so wrapped up in the new place that I hadn’t really taken the time to examine how I felt about the old place. At least, not until I was standing in the trailer park driveway, nuzzling the neighbor’s cat, and watched four years of memories be dragged out of space #7. I got a little weepy, which freaked out the cat and made Randy look at me a little funny.

But really…in those four years, I’ve had four jobs, spent one year on crutches, ran a half marathon, learned how to embroider, got engaged, got married, learned how to be married, and countless other milestones big and small…all within the aluminum skin of that trailer.

I’ll always remember our time living there with a fond smile, and as the years pass I’m sure the memories will be even better in hindsight.

Its foundation has settled somewhat, which explains the two slugs I found slugging across the floor yesterday.

Tonight’s project: slugproofing our apartment before the Turkletons arrive tomorrow!

I’m still here, and I have very limited internet access at the moment. Somehow in the move, we have no connectivity at the new house, but I’m told that should be fixed very soon. It’s killing me!

The basics: we have a man who’s interested in the trailer (yay!), we have sold the shed to a very awesome couple who appreciate all the hard work and design that we put into building it, and the new apartment is quieter and more of a home already than the trailer ever was.

Don’t get me wrong…I’ll miss the trailer. It is, after all, the only place that Randy and I have ever lived together. Somehow we made it four years together in the tin can…it has its share of memories.

But, dudes…a floor that doesn’t move when we walk? A roof that actually SHEDS RAIN? Can’t beat it.

If you know anyone who is in the market for a beautiful Avion travel trailer, please direct them to the trailer’s very own blog!