Today, I was especially glad for my new slacker attitude

I had a dental appointment this morning. I always try to get an early-ish appointment--before 9:00 or so. Since the appointments typically take less than an hour and because the dentist office is just five minutes from work, in the past I've gone to work at my regular time (about 7:45 a.m.) and then go to the dentist office at the needed time. Because this year I'm all about slacking off at work (which still means I'm doing more than many), I decided to not go to work before my dental appointment but hang out at the house until I needed to leave for my 8:50 appointment. I figure that's still better than some of my coworkers who've been known to take a full day off for a dental cleaning.

And I'm really glad I didn't go in early. I knew our neighbors were planning on leaving this morning for their drive to St. Louis. We'd intended to head down to their house last night to say good-bye but got sidetracked by shiny objects and didn't make it down there. I called her phone this morning about 8:00 to see if they'd left. I left a message that we had a little gift for them, that we hoped we could see them before they left, that I'd be home for a bit more, blah, blah, blah. Paul left for work a little later and shortly after he pulled out of the garage, I heard a knock on the front door. He'd seen them heading out and stopped them. So we were able to say goodbyes and give hugs and give them a little going-away gift (a half-gallon of salsa from Sadie's which is one of the places they said they'd most miss in ABQ). We enjoyed getting to know them. Their house hasn't sold yet and they left all their furniture in the house. So, they'll be back at least once more. Hopefully we'll be able to see them when they visit ABQ. As I told them, our home is always open to them and they already know how to get here.

And some random vacation pictures just because I haven't posted pictures in a while. The first three are some Mom took and I downloaded because there wasn't a lot of photographic proof that I was actually on this vacation.

Paul and me with Dad during The Witchery Murder & Mystery Tour in Edinburgh. Dad is wearing his Irish wax cap purchased in Adare, Co. Limerick, Ireland.
With Mom in the Lake District of England near Grasmere
This might have been a sweet moment between the two of us. Or he was trying to shut me up. While it's probably the latter, we'll say it's the former.
If these two guys wouldn't have put my luggage over the 50 lbs. weight limit, I would have had myself a couple of donkeys. I want a donkey. They're cute. And easy to anthropomorphize since Paul and I entertained ourselves doing just that during much of Ireland. Our donkeys are happy, eager to please, and not that bright.
Someone got the boot in Dublin. Just because you drive a BMW doesn't mean you don't have to pay those parking tickets.