My Thoughts on Thursday Night Television:

This is all I'm talking about, people. Move over, Dr. House, "The Office" is back on top...

A Surprising Mother's Day Gift

Mom Small and her Boys
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

We pulled off a monumental surprise for Mother's Day, flying to Ohio to spend the weekend and totally shocking Jason's mom. What fun! We had a great time hanging out with family, and the weather cooperated nicely. On Saturday we had lunch at the Pine Tree Barn and ate on the porch in the sunshine. Jason and I volunteered to grill up some steaks for Sunday dinner, honing our grilling skills for when we have our own bbq. And of course there was lots of scheming about which project at our new house Jason and his dad should start first...

Back home now, we're thinking about the following things:
* packing up our condo
* whether or not to go to 10 year high school reunion (just found "MHS Class of 97" website, so strange...)
* this summer's road trip to Canada

Oh, and what Jim will say Thursday night...

Outside

Remember when you were in middle school and your teacher would let you have class outside, and you'd take "The Outsiders" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" onto a patch of green grass and squint as you pretended to read? I want to have school outside. And by school, I mean work. After all, I have a laptop AND a blackberry, both of which should make it easy for me to go sit in the botanical garden park across the street and bask in the glorious sun--all while doing the good work of the people of Idaho, of course.

It is gorgeous these days, and I want to be outside all the time. I've taken to running on the Mall after work, one of hundreds of government workers freed from the confines of office and suit, jogging (ever so slowly) from Capitol to Washington Monument and back again. Every time I do this, I remember the first time I was in DC in the 11th grade. My family came here for what we all agree was pretty much the best vacation ever, and my Uncle Jim was in Congress and we got to see, well, everything. I fixated today on one moment in time--an afternoon in early May, oversized T-shirts so popular with high schoolers in the mid-90's, standing on the Mall grass between afore mentioned places of national significance, and making fools of ourselves singing some crazy song about potatoes. I'm going to dig up the video next time I'm home (because yes, of course, there is a video).

It's May again, and school is out, and I am happy. I like school, but I also like the glorious feeling of watching American Idol without guilt. Plus, we're really, really into "House." In fact, until Jim and Pam get together (for the love), it might be my favorite show...