Poco-Cocoa

This is going to be a ginormous post full of people you don’t know, but I want to share these photos of the wonderful people who made my Thanksgiving great!

Justin photobombed Logan.

Jody and Logan toasted oysters.

Rachel and Brandon – Brandon’s an architect and such a witty guy.

I got so many beautiful photos of Rachel!

GQ really loved his whiskey gift – Beth and Brandon are slightly amused. GQ and Beth are the most gracious hosts EVER.

Jody seriously loved the pies.

Tori shucked oysters all night – two for the tray, one for her.

It was Rachel’s job to make sure the turkey’s skin was totally dry. This led to many innuendos.

EXTREME CLOSE UP!

After many trials and tribulations with Beth’s oven, Logan still managed to roast an amazing turkey.

Another great Rachel photo.

It’s me! I guess I was mad at being photographed.

Tori and Justin sipping cafe au lait at Morning Call.

The girls awaiting a decision from the boys.

Thank you, friends, for making Thanksgiving so wonderful!♥

So we took the cats to the vet yesterday for their yearly check-ups. Ohmyga. Our cats HATE going to the vet. They hate their carriers. They hate car rides. So it took twenty minutes to corral them into their carriers, kicking and screaming and hissing and clawing. Then came the car ride with them MEOWing constantly. This time we dropped them off at the clinic and picked them up later in the day, and I have to say, I think this was better than being there with them during the appointment. The vet said that Roux was “great” during his visit. He laid on his back and let them check everything. WHAT?! MY Roux did that? Life is full of surprises.

Anyway, both kitties are healthy, but Roux is… well… he has to lose some weight. He’s a large cat anyway, so his ideal weight is 15 pounds. He’s at 17.6. So now he has this special diet food, which he happens to LOVE, so that’s good. Unfortunately, Little is still scared that we might box her up and take her to the vet, so she’s been hiding a lot. Ah, kitties.

So it turns out that Cipollina serves this amazing butter lettuce salad with anchovies and grilled radicchio. It’s my new favorite thing.

Also, I figured out why I love Houndstooth so much. First, they have amazing coffee. Second, when I walk in, Paul says, “Hey Crystal!” Third, it’s bright and airy. Fourth, they don’t cook stuff there, so it doesn’t smell like stuffy grilled ickiness. Fifth, they don’t play loud obnoxious music. If you’re guessing that I had a bad experience at a coffee shop recently, and am therefore grateful for Houndstooth, you would be guessing correctly.

On election night, our friends were having parties and watching the polls. I could not do this, because it makes me extremely anxious.

So I read books and waited it out, until finally it was announced that Barack Obama would still be my president, and I could breathe a sigh of relief. And then I made celebratory cocktails for us – on the left is the Commander in Chief, and on the right is El Presidente. 🙂

Today we met my family in Fredericksburg for strolling and such. My sister, most generous, loving, wonderful soul that she is, is lending us a car until we can sell the scooters and figure out our next steps. I have a wonderful family. Anyway, there’s a bakery on main street that sells SWEET GERMAN PRETZELS. That is all.

We also visited Justin’s parents today, and they have a butterfly haven in their backyard. This little guy was just one of many.

In other news, I decided recently that four jobs is at least one job too many. So I’m cutting down and refocusing, and I think things will be better. I feel like I can focus more and accomplish more, while still having some free time. So that’s good.

For those of you reading this on Monday, Happy Veterans Day! I can’t begin to describe how thankful I am that others have risked their life for my freedoms.

I hope you all have a great week!♥