Bits, Bobs, Bites and Blather

Today is JRH's birthday. She doesn't have a blog of her own (gasp!) so please feel free to wish her well right here. If not today then tomorrow when she will go all Guest Blogger on our asses for the first time in far too long. She's got a hell of a good reason, too, so please stay tuned and, if you see fit, link, retweet, Facebook or otherwise promote said cause tomorrow. I've already been in touch with her this morning so I know she's already opened her present which means that I can spill the beans here without ruining the surprise. I got her this. Hurray for Etsy!

I'm over at the Colony today with the most recent Photo Challenge. Our prompt was Spring. You can check out the featured photos here or go straight to our Flickr pool to see all the submissions. Those shots got me through some rough days the last couple of weeks.

Speaking of which, I'm headed out of town again tomorrow night. ChemE's father-in-law passed away yesterday after an illness. I'll drive upstate tomorrow after work so I'll be there in time for the services on Friday. I would stay a little longer but...

Queen Bee is chaperoning a field trip to NYC on Saturday. They're just in for the day attending an author talkback, seeing a matinee (CHENOWETH!) and wandering Times Square for a bit before they head back home. I'm lucky to have been asked to spend the day with them. You guys know how much I love to introduce people to the city.

Oh, and tonight I'm headed out to deepest Williamsburg to go to this swanky-seeming joint to celebrate my cousin's engagement. Rather than clutter their lives with a physical gift for the engagement I donated to complete a book-related project on Donors Choose. After I'd hit the Check Out button I realized I probably should have donated to Dewey Donation instead. I'll do that, too, though, just not specifically for their engagement. Want to join me?

Lastly, it turns out that these pants are green not black. Surprise!