The Walking Dead…

Greta’s birthday party was almost a week ago, and while it was awesome, it was also completely exhausting. Anyone who has ever planned a kid’s birthday party themselves knows what I’m talking about: a lot of work, a lot of money, way too much to do and very little sleep. It’s like going to war. Well, OK, not that bad, but, pretty damn close. And from what I hear it gets worse when the kids get older and start inviting whole classrooms full of kids. Yikes…

Anyway, the party went off without a hitch (although Mrs. Yeti and have decided to jokingly refer to Greta’s birthday parties as “divorce makers” from here on out) and I think everyone had a lot of fun. Most especially the kids. So, yay! I’ll post pics soon. I promise! And I know I’ve said that before, but, this time, the pics have made the jump from my camera to the computer and some of them are even up on Facebook already. So, hang tight, pics really are coming this time.

The other no-so-fun thing about staging a big-ass kids party is that one, or all three of us, inevitably ends up a little sick after it’s all said and done. And this time, it’s Greta and myself who caught the bug. It’s really just a cold, but, coupled with this insane heat wave we’re having — it was 91 degrees outside for most of the day today! — it’s been a really long and nasty week for both of us.

And though we did manage to make it out to the library yesterday, Greta’s runny nose peaked today and going anywhere went right out the window. No need to spread our zombie virus any further.

So, we stayed home today and drove each other crazy instead. Seriously, indoor activities lose their luster pretty quickly when it’s hot as hell outside and both of your noses are draining all day long. Urgh…talk about a germ factory. I’m surprised Mrs. Yeti hasn’t taken to sleeping on the couch!

Thankfully, my most taxxing plans this weekend involve plopping a giant slab of corned beef into a crockpot full of boiling water. And lemme tell ya, Sunday can’t come soon enough.

God bless ye, St. Patrick!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Spent the last couple of days boiling and eating corned beef, cabbage and potatoes (we had an early St. Patrick’s Day feast on Friday with my brother and sister-in-law and a reheated version of the exact same meal, complete with black and tans, tonight) and lemme tell ya, I could eat that shit every day. Seriously, God bless the Irish!

Also been playing loads of Irish music — Enya, U2, Celtic Women, Luka Bloom, Sinead, The Cranberries, you name it, it’s on our iPod’s epic, three-hour-long “Irish Spring Playlist”! — including one of my all-time-favorite late-90’s bands, Garbage.

I know it totally dates me, but, man, I loved those guys. And don’t even get me started on their lead singer, Shirley Manson. That milky skin, all that crazy red hair, and that angry, riot grrl snarl, whew…she had me at “top o’ the morning to ya”. Seriously, she can rest her weary hand on my knotty old shillelagh anytime she wants. Follow the link, I’m not being nearly as dirty as I sound.

Anyway, figured St. Patrick’s Day was as the perfect time to teach Greta the finer points of Garbage appreciation, so, we rocked out with her Barbies to some of the band’s finest jams. Greta was a little hesitant to belt out the chorus on “Stupid Girl” — since S-T-U-P-I-D is a “bad word” in our house, we sang it as “Bad Word Girl”, which totally worked — but she and her Barbies sang the hell out of “I’m Only Happy When it Rains”. Of course, that may have been because it was pouring outside.

Either way, the worst part of my day came later, when I discovered, via Facebook, that my beloved Shirley Manson is as Irish as the fake-ass brogue I’ve been rocking all weekend. Which means, of course, she’s not Irish at all. Nope, turns out my favorite Irish singer is, in fact, a Scot. Urgh…so much for the ethnic purity of my playlist.

Ah, who am I kidding? Irish or not, I’m still your biggest fan, Shirley girl. If I like your music, and Lord knows I do, then your place on my playlist (and in my heart) remains totally unchanged. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and long live the Scottish too!