Speaking of lazy, it just goes to show that Laziness Always Wins. When Lloyd and I were in Omaha weeks ago, we found the perfect present for Brad, but I never got around to getting it in the mail. Turns out – he can just carry it back to Baltimore with him!

It’s a Disappearing Civil Liberties Mug. It has Amendments I – X on it, and when you add hot water, Amendments I, IV, most of V, VI, a bit of VII, VIII, and IX disappear. It was perfect for the boy who gets extremely upset about government issues – now he can have a hot cup of joe to illustrate his point.

Lloyd was talking to Brad on the phone last night and I yelled, “Ask Brad what we should have for dinner.”

Lloyd – “Lauren wants to know what we should have for dinner.”

Brad – “Enchiladas.”

Lloyd – “Enchiladas.”

Me – “We don’t have the stuff.”

Lloyd – “We don’t have the stuff.”

Brad – “Isn’t improvisation her thing?”

Lloyd – “Isn’t improvisation your thing?”

Me – “We had improvisation last night.”

Lloyd – “Thanks, Brad. Now we’re going to have tuna enchiladas.”

So, no, we did not have tuna enchiladas, we had Messed-Up Spaghetti because I didn’t have any jarred sauce. I put a can of tomatoes in the pan and whirred it up with the stick blender, which is great fun.

Then some frozen ground meat and spices were thrown in, the batch was tasted, and I found I had killed all the tomato flavor with my ‘spices’.

(Basil, garlic, some celery (I don’t know why) and a gigantic glug of Italian dressing.)

Bleh. It needed tomato paste.

Now, I have never used an entire can of tomato paste at one time in my life. I’m always freezing the leftover dabs, then finding their frozen corpses in the freezer months later. I actually thought of that ahead of time and checked the freeezer. No dabs. So, finally this too-long post will get to the jist: When opening a can of tomato paste, cut off both ends and push it out like a push-pop. You will get every little bit out of the can, even that little bit you’ll throw away in August.

The end.

Oh, I think they need water, too.

Brad, if we had more money and if you were ten, we would have bought you these:

Back to Brad. Have a great day! What’s the gift that keeps on giving? I think you know.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyYDqwl1qH8 520 433]

No Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink was harmed during the making of this film. After filming, though, it was sucked mercilessly into the vacuum cleaner and died a horrible death.I think that one thing is a Shrek-head, though I didn’t mean it to be one. I’ve never done this before, ok? And how come I don’t own a tripod? You people would be a lot less seasick if I had a tripod. And you have to admit – it’s the best rockin’ birthday song that you don’t have to pay Paul McCartney royalties for!

Last year when Brad left I made a version of Goodnight Moon to document the sorrow.  Maybe I’ll post that tomorrow when I figure out how to use the scanner, but this year we made a movie.  It will only be meaningful if you’ve followed our websites during his visits.  I hope it will bring every single viewer to tears!!  Fetch your Kleenex boxes, folks.  Who am I kidding?  This is only meaningful to me.

‘Bye, Brad.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XgB2Z4Ls4k 520 433]

Salad Man made good on yet another salad tonight.  This time it was the garlicky chicken, fresh mozzerella, cherry tomatoes, fancy lettuce and a balsamic vinegrette with (I’m quoting here) “a half cup of sugar in it”.  I was glad to assist as sous chef – cubing cheese and chicken. Dang if it wasn’t the tastiest concoction this side of the Big Blue!  Lloyd said it had the perfect lettuce-to-non-lettuce-items ratio of any salad he’s ever had.

Think of the children.

(click here for larger image) *Um, until the end of the month, I think.

Brad is a cereal eater, and since he’s a guy, his custom is to rinse off his cereal bowl and spoon and set them by the sink to use again the next day.  Since I’m a girl, I kept putting his bowl in the dishwasher every other summer.  Oops!  So this year, we’ve got the perfect solution!  Lloyd helped with it’s construction – he’s got mad Dremel skills – and made the spoon notch just right!

Anyone need a place to stay for the 4th? We still have room, but beds are filling up fast.

Bringing giant tulips from Amsterdam. (And Pepsi made with real sugar, which we forgot to sample. Dang it.)

The hard-working siblings – what a team!

We ran into two models at the airport! Wheee-whooo! (That’s a whistle.)

We began our Shrine to Brad awhile ago, and it has grown greatly thanks to Beth providing photos and confirmation bulletins, Brad conveniently forgetting things when he leaves, and also snapping up his stuff off of eBay.  (Thanks, Denis.)  Be sure to notice the driftwood snake – courtesy of Grandpa Hummel -and the larger-than-life portrait of Ned.  I’ll be glad to field any questions, and a free-will basket will be located at the door.

The saddest time of the year is when Brad leaves, because it means that fun is gone , work is just around the corner, and now we have to turn the furnace back to the ‘freezing’ setting.  We took him to the airport around 11 a.m., but his plane was late to arrive, and leave.  (I’m sure he’ll write all about it at www.bradaptation.com .)  Here he is getting his boarding pass.  Lincoln airport is very small, so we didn’t get arrested for taking photos.  Whew.

While we were there, we saw Lloyd’s idol of hair.  It may take a few more months, but I think Lloyd can do it.

Brad, I can’t believe how passe’ your idea is. People – swanky people – have been drinking from drains for years!