Beach trip vs. repair/chemical/bird issues, photos, and two links

So, I've been invited on a day-trip to the beach again, tomorrow, with Christine and Erika. Woohoo! say I. However, Nathan then points out that the drywall-repairing folks will be here between 8 and 9am Saturday, and they'd already warned us that they'll be toting powerful chemicals to prevent mold/mildew in the ceiling--and birds are particularly susceptible to aerosol chemicals, particularly ones strong enough to bother humans. Thus, my first thought was to hole up the bird in Nathan's bedroom, hall doors closed and well-ventilated.

However, a) it's risky to even have her in the house, if the chemicals are as bad as they say, and b) Nathan wouldn't be comfortable with me out of the house. (Also, c) Nathan wants me to be around "in case they need help moving anything"--but frankly, that's what they're paid for, and they're only repairing the kitchen ceiling, as far as I know, so there's nothing to be moved.)

Thus, I asked a favor of my parents--take in the bird and her cage for the weekend--and my mom accepted! So, when I go over for her birthday dinner (Happy birthday, mom!), I'll take the bird and cage as well. (Incidentally, it's also Friday the 13th, and it's the second time a hurricane has been inbound on my mom's birthday, says my grandmother--last time, my mom was 1. :) Unfortunately, my grandmother is in Tampa, right in the path of the hurricane; fortunately, my aunt Evelyn and Uncle Mitch are away from Lakeland, also in the path.)

Oh, and have some peekatures! More or less chronologically:

Annual Seal and Serpent picnic @ Bill Ryerson's

MiscVA page 3 features one photo from antikate's that same evening, and three photos from my living room regarding the recent leak.

Pets page 8 features another photo of Miranda and Vivian lounging, and my crested gecko stuck to the glass of his cage.

Family (pages 1 and 2) feature photos from the family dinner outing when my aunt Mary and uncle Jim were in town.

Ocean City! 45 photos from my recent trip with Christine and Erika, featuring a lot of sand, sun, water, gratuitous cuteness, nifty vehicles, the boardwalk, and a nifty tattoo.

And finally, one from Screen on the Green last Monday.

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By the_alchemist: The Gashlycrumb Tinies, Hogwarts style.

Hahaha! U.S. Military Clears A-Team of Charges

One more link

Via alacrity:
The Case Against George W. Bush
The son of the fortieth president of the United States takes a hard look at the son of the forty-first and does not like what he sees

Long, but well worth the read. A fascinating little editorial, indeed.

VEC goodness, hard rain = slow drivers, 1-month-iversary aquatic goodness, beach day

Speaking of lack of chronology..

Today, I filed for three more weeks' worth of unemployment claims. Yay money! I then filled out the Job Seeker Registration form, which I probably should've done within a week of my first set of claims, filed 7/20. Oops. Hopefully, this didn't void the interceding period for claims. (This form, though--Scantron. I can file for claims in person, by phone, or online, but this form is Scantron. Get with the '90s, folks.)

Last night, I headed out to Christine's, leaving my house around 1745. With no traffic, getting to her apartment takes about 30 minutes; with heavy traffic, closer to an hour. Traffic varies, somewhat arbitrarily, by day. Yesterday, though... intermittent torrential rain. Driving-at-30mph-due-to-reduced-visibility rain. Driving cautiously due to terrible drainage through the Springfield Interchange rain. I hear several areas got quarter-size hail, or larger. At any rate, it took me almost two hours to make the ~22-mile trip.

Christine, bless her heart, had a Midori sour waiting. With little plastic squids perched on the glass rim. And curry chicken, peas, and bread in the works. Mmmm. Afterward, I acquired a Malibu and Coke, continuing the tropical/aquatic theme, and we sat down to watch 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. As you may recall, we first attempted to watch this movie on our first official "date," a month prior, but Blockbuster had the wrong version. Thus, in the interceding month, she got the correct (1954, Kirk Douglas, James Mason) version from Netflix, and we watched it a month later. Great movie, really. :)

Later this afternoon, I'll pack up bird and cage, and drive to Manassas to join my family for my mom's birthday dinner; later, I'll head out to Christine's, and tomorrow morning, she and Erika and I will head out to the beach again, but this time only for the day. :)