One of the nice parts of the recent trip to my mom’s former house in Florida (kind of the only nice part, it seemed) was the discovery of a box of old photos. The photos run the course of something like 60 years — from pictures of my grandfather when he was in the army, to my parents roughly 40 years ago, to my high school senior pictures. Some of these pictures are amazing — my grandfather was a talented photographer, it seems — and some are downright hilarious. The funniest ones are probably my high school senior pictures, with their early 1990s backdrops and styling. Oh, just wait.

I shipped the box home to LA, and it should be here Tuesday, and I’ll scan and post some of the better shots as soon as I receive the package. Seeing my high school pictures makes it painfully clear why the ladies weren’t exactly flocking back then. Can you say “dork?” You will next week.

Word has it that the NewSchlachtmans (Newman et al) have joined the Wii club. Welcome, kids. Let the fun begin!

We’re finally back home. AEJ and I spent 3 days in Fort Myers, Florida, preparing my mom’s house for sale. We packed her personal belongings (clothes, her kitchen supplies, all of her personal files, etc.), cleaned the house top to bottom, and re-arranged furniture. It was a grueling three nights, and man alive, we’re glad to be done with it. How we did it in roughly 48 hours, I don’t know. Here, now, are some pictures of the final product…

The master bedroom…

Master bath with jet tub…

The kitchen…

The office…

The family room…

The family room from a different angle…

The pool…

The back “yard” (that’s normally more of a lake, but southern Florida has been very dry, so the water level is a bit low)…

There’s a lot more. Two more bedrooms, a dining room, a living room — but I don’t think I can look at it anymore. Now I just want to open the windows here at home and relax. It’s nice to be somewhere without the bugs, heat, and humidity of southern Florida in June. I’m just not tough enough for that lifestyle.

Tonight, we’re going to see “Oceans 13” and then get sushi for dinner, and Pinkberry for dessert. Mmm.

Oh, and if anybody wants a house in Florida, let me know. I’ll make you a sweet deal.

AEJ and I are flying back to southern Florida tomorrow morning. My mom had to move up to Columbus unexpectedly last week, and she left her house without having time to get it ready to sell. So, AEJ and I are heading there tomorrow and spending 48 hours doing our best cleaning, painting, packing, and furniture placement so that we can get the house on the market on Thursday. It’s a good thing we watch a lot of HGTV.

We’ll be home late Thursday night. Come Friday, I have to really get cracking on the Sax Concerto. I will have lost three weeks of work time by then. September 1 will be here pretty quickly, I fear…

“Knocked Up” was fine. Not nearly as good or funny as “40 Year Old Virgin,” but entertaining. The overall premise was pretty lame — that a couple with absolutely nothing in common except a shared night of drunken sex would end up happily together simply because of a baby. Would that ever work? I’ve heard of marriages staying together “for the children,” and that always strikes me as unhealthy for everybody, but a committed relationship that starts because of an accidental pregnancy? I can’t wait for the sequel. Not sure what it’ll be called… “I Resent Junior,” maybe, or, “I Knocked Up the Nanny, Too.”