Yumminess

A pit stop at A Baker's Wife for the world's best lemon bars.

Out of her shell

Guest photoblogger Ellen takes a picture of mommy and mussels.

Two seasons more than we need

We're also selling a whole three-season porch set. Any takers?

Sneak peek

I showed you the lot across from Ellen's day care where a local Toyota dealer stores their overflow cars. All those Prii are gone now, replaced by this one shiny new (still wrapped in shipping materials!) 2010 Prius. All-new fancy electronics package, electric-vehicle mode, solar-powered air-conditioner...  

And it was unlocked! So tempted to see if I could take it for a spin.

For sale!

Did I mention we are downsizing like mad? Anyone want a big projection TV or an entertainment center suitable for holding hundreds of VHS tapes? C'mon -- live it up like it's 1999!

Tower of terror

Ellen and friend entertain themselves at a gigantic multistory indoor playground. Why didn't we have cool stuff like this when I was a kid?

Mad men

What are they thinking of on Madison Avenue these days? First, there's the disastrously inept Pepsi rebranding. 

Now Nabisco is getting in the game with logos apparently made by lining up some old game tiles.

Backseat test driver

Rachel's trying out a used Dodge Magnum. She wants a "mom car" to replace my old Mercury. She doesn't want to go full monty minivan, so it's going to be a wagon, small SUV, or some kind of "crossover."

Antiquing

We're donating, selling, and tossing out all kinds of stuff as we prepare to move cross-country. Big ol' pieces of furniture that we don't really need are at the top of the list. I crawled under Rachel's old dining room table to take a picture of this stamp. A little Googling suggests it actually is a mid-century antique that might be worth a few bucks to a dealer. Now to find someone who wants to buy it...

Extreme sports

Going down the slide? That's for wimpy toddlers, daddy.

Glory

Minnesota so rarely has nice springs. They're usually too cold, too wet, too windy, too brief ... or I'm away on business and I miss them completely. For our last year in the little brick house, we had a long, lovely spring. The tree in our front yard blossomed gloriously.

Cheese

Ya know... there ain't nothing like a good cheese plate.

At last

Spring in Minnesota! The trees are blossoming. 

Of course, we were just in Pasadena, where giant roses grow on every curb.

Pie time

Baker's Square has a free kids-make-a-pie night thing every month. It's Ellen's favorite restaurant for this reason. She's joined by a friend in pie-making this time.

The princess in her castle

Ellen found the Cinderella dress we hid (not very well) in her closet. She's so happy to have mommy & daddy back. And a new princess dress. I won't ask her which makes her happier.

Things to come

We rented a house! It's purty, ain't it? Just one month until we move.

Kawaii

Trying out Pinkberry frozen yogurt in Pasadena. At a lot of these places, the decor seems geared to appeal to teenage Japanese girls.

Working lunch

At a Thai restaurant in Downey, CA, Rachel preps for her job interview. The pad see yew was good, and so was the interview.