Weekend recap

• What goes "THUMP-thump, THUMP-thump, THUMP-thump"? Answer: a chipmunk in the dryer.

Calm down, I didn't *actually* have a chipmunk in the dryer, that was more of an artist's impression of what it might sound like. But I noticed while doing yard work this weekend that the external dryer vent cover had rotted away over the winter -- UV radiation and cold, I guess -- and nothing was standing between the chipmunks and the interior of my house except the dryer door. Now I like chipmunks just fine, but I don't want them as roomies, so I set off to the local hardware store, bought a new external dryer vent cover,


and pulled out my trusty caulking gun. It took a while to chip off the old caulk, clean the vinyl siding, then cut the metal vent to size, install the new vent, and caulk around the new cover, but my house is now protected against chipmunks, squirrels, mice and things of that size. Leprechauns too, I guess. And I've been whiling away the odd half hour ever since by peeling silicone caulk off my arm like sunburnt skin.


• Took Leah and Rachel to the playground Saturday afternoon. Rae can now go hand over hand across 3 rungs of the monkey bars (!). She's also a pro at the fireman's pole. Leah is too. Leah said that I should try the fireman's pole (hee, no comments please) and I climbed up the play structure. The pole is out a few feet from the platform (red pole on left of picture)
  
  
  and doesn't look that tall from the ground, but standing up at the top, man is it high! I can't believe I let Rachel go down it by herself and she's only 4. But not to be outdone by the girls, I hooked a leg around it and launched myself down. Somehow I banged the side of my knee pretty good and now I have a really attractive dark purple bruise. I am not 4. I must remember this in the future.
  


• Sens rule! Watched the game on Saturday night. Bring on Buffalo! The picture below is from December 2005, but they are still the cutest Senators fans EVER. They watched the first period with me until Rachel got bored and went off to watch Aladdin on tape in my bed (translation: watched opening credits and then went right to sleep), and Leah fell asleep lying against me on the couch. I managed to stay awake for the whole game.
  
  

• Picked Becca up on Sunday and we took the girls to the leisure swim at the pool in the Goulbourn Rec Centre in Stittsville. It was great. Especially the relaxing-in-the-hot-tub part. That sure eased the aches and pains of firepole bruises and sore muscles from yard work/spider dislodging.

• Went home and barbequed some chicken, made some pasta and Caesar salad. Mmmmm. After dinner, we drove Bec home and then I had plans to watch a movie and have a Keiths or two, but all the swimming caught up with me and I crashed around nine.
  

• Pretty good weekend, really.