Summer Music Meme

Thanks, Notorious Ph.D for another opportunity for a non-house/garden-related post (and also: happy birthday!)
The following list is my "what music is shaping your summer, right now?" meme. The instructions are as follows:

• List seven songs you are into right now.
• No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your summer.
• Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs.
• Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.
  

(The last one is irrelevant, because I only know 4 or 5 people who read my blog.)

• She Left Me For Jesus--Hayes Carll (I just saw him open for Old 97s last week, and was very impressed. If you're not into traditional or alt-country, or any country for that matter, you'd best stay away. Clever lyrics, though.)
• Rabbit Fur Coat--Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
• Tree Hugger--Kimya Dawson/Antsy Pants
• Barrier Reef--Old 97s
• No Hiding Place--Elvis Costello
• Baby Let Me Hold your Hand--Detroit Cobras
• Pot Kettle Black--Wilco

There are a ton of other songs, since I drive about an hour a day for work...windows down, stereo turned up, chugging down the road in my 12 year-old Mazda...yeah. I'm a bad-ass. But at least I have awesome shades.

Because it's fun

36 As a 1930s wife, I am Poor Take the test!

I suspect I would be better if I didn't warm my cold feet on my husband at night and dressed in my pearls and heels for breakfast.

76 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I hope he knows what a good husband I am.

Thanks Notorious, for a fun time-killer!

So long, sucker

Part of being a grown-up, in my eyes, is getting enthused with the purchase of a seemingly-mundane household item. The kind of item my 22-year-old self might roll her eyes at. My 37-year-old self, however, relishes it. When The Queen purchased us a dishwasher for Christmas the year Cal and I bought our house, I was so happy. And when we figured out we had enough Sears gift cards from our wedding/birthdays/etc. to put toward a huge chunk of the fridge we wanted? Again, happy. Ditto for our new range. And the new washer and dryer.

It seemed like we had what we needed for the house, appliance-wise. Then I realized, with 2 dogs and 2 cats, all of whom shed like crazy, how old my upright vacuum was. It was one of the first "adult" purchases when I moved out of my parents' house in 1989. Actually, I think it was a gift. It's vacuumed 7 domiciles, been repaired once when the Crazy Ex-Roommate decided she would just vacuum up the cat litter she spilled (like a whole bag's worth), and suffered through me having lost attachments for it and over-full bags. And its vacuuming power just wasn't for our needs anymore.

I mentioned to Cal that, at some point in the future, I was looking forward to getting a new vacuum. Being a pragmatist, not to mention frugal, he said when Hoover gave out, we would get a new one. About a month later, he came home from work and told me they were in need of a new vacuum at their office, and he was going to donate Hoover.

Not only is my beloved pragmatic and frugal, he is thorough and methodical. He researched new vacuums, compared features, and went to Stark's, which is sort of in our neighborhood and has been in business since 1932. When he found one he thought would fit our needs, he had me go check it out and buy it if I liked it.

Introducing: Simplicity 'Verve', the newest member of our household.

Is it possible to have a crush on a vacuum cleaner? The answer is "yes", when it's this sexy.
I'm thinking of some flame decals or maybe some sexy-lady mudflaps.