Enforced change of season

I am de-xmasing my house today; pulling down the lights and tossing all the pine boughs I had on the stairs.  To some degree, it's a form of sympathetic magic - I am very ready for spring to come, and if this helps, I'm all for it.  And in part, it's because it's actually beautiful spring-like weather today, which makes me want to Out With The Old.  But to a large extent, it's because all the xmas lights on the steps burned out (cheap!  I got them from the supermarket and they were cheap (vs just inexpensive; my Target lights would burn from October to May without a problem)).  And that's depressing, so I am going to put up the summer lights I got from mcfurrin (for xmas, ironically), so my front hall is not dark.

Currently, the hall is light by the light of the roomba (whose battery charging issues I seem to have fixed), and the Blazing Sun, since it's actually nice enough to have the interior door open.  The ferrets were perplexed; I think they forgot there was an outer door.  They tried to open it with their pointy noses, but as it was both latched, and sticks, it did them no good.  So off they went to drag the draft snake around the kitchen.  They like to barricade themselves under the radiator with it.  Weirdos.

Unfortunately, it's turning out that replacing the xmas lights will be a bit of a task.  The summer lights I got for xmas are too short for the hall, and the ones I had from last year are not working.  Woe!  Back to Target I will have to go this week.  I also apparently need a new router, as I keep being booted indecorusly offline for no good reason.  And iSobel does too, so I know it's not Kara.  Is this burst of Spring causing things to kick the bucket?  I always hear that people who are very ill sometimes hold on until spring...if the same is true for electronics, what else will be going today?  Luckily, I think it's supposed to get cold again soon, so I'll have a reprieve.  And it's just as well - I apparently have forgotten how to get out my car like a lady, when I am wearing a skirt and no tights.  I did not flash anyone, but only because nobody was standing across from me.  Shocking!

Random note: my mom has been cleaning out the attic and called to ask me what of my many childhood stuffed animals I wanted to keep (Don't throw away Raggedy Ann and Andy!).  She also is going through a lot of my dad's old stuff, most of which is mundane and can go, either to the poor/er or the trash.  She did say she would save for me anything which was particularly interesting, which apparently includes (and I quote) a "velvet smoking cape" which he bought in England ages ago.  Not much comes up when you google it, so I am assuming she meant a smoking jacket, but even so, I can't imagine such a thing on my dad.  She assures me he used to wear it around the house for fun.  She said it was "kinky".  And unfortunately, I *do* think that word means what she thinks it means, and now I have a very odd image in my head.....sigh. 

Rest of day: Sandwich, cleaning kitchen, dealing with stack of nonsense on side table, laundry, tv, NYT, nice hot shower.  First: cup of tea!