Amanda called me just after 8:00 those morning to tell me I should come to her office.  If I wouldn’t have had to battle cross-town traffic at 8 AM I might have done it.  Her co-workers had stayed an hour after she left yesterday and gift wrapped literally everything in her cubicle.  The computer monitor, the phone, a breast cancer ribbon, pens, folders, her chair- you name it.  Pretty impressive feat.  They did it because her birthday is tomorrow.

Though it’s no big surprise, Gerald Henderson has hired an agent, meaning he’s ineligible to come back to play his senior year at Duke.  Though I’d have really loved for him to come back, I hope he tears up the NBA.

Well now, after a few weeks of pretty hard work, the load wasn’t as bad today and it started to pay off.  Yes, May is going to be a good month.

I did quite a bit of running around this afternoon.  I had to pick up and deposit my paycheck, I dropped off the mortgage check, picked up some stuff Erin had left at Sam’s house when she stayed with her (Sam and Dickie don’t live far from here) and stopped by La Casa Warkentien to check on Gipper’s food supply.  I didn’t find a Gipper, but I found exidence of one.  His food (though there was still plenty left) was eaten and he’d used the litter box.  It wasn’t overpowering yet, the litter box, so I left that for Nick and Amy for when they get home.

Amanda’s mom, Karen Mercer, came to stay with us for the weekend.  Phil, Amanda’s dad, is at Portsmouth Island and will not be returning until either late tomorrow or Sunday.  Plus, Barry Frazelle is getting back from helping teach dentistry in Africa late tomorrow too, so we’re going to do Mother’s Day here in Wilmington instead of Beulaville so he can take it easy.  Plus, Amanda wants to go to Raleigh tomorrow.  I wasn’t too keen on spending all day traveling just to shop, though I gladly would have since it’s Amanda’s birthday.  Karen decided she’d go with Amanda, so they’re planning on leaving around 9:00.

I’ve been trying to call my parents for the past couple days, but I can’t seem to get in touch with them at all.  I was going to let them know we were going to be in Raleigh to see about meeting for lunch, but oh well.  I chatted on Facebook with my cousin, Jeff Cherryholmes, and he mentioned that he was going to be in town and that he and my dad were going golfing, so I doubt the timing would have worked out anyway.

Karen brought the things she’d bought with our Babies R Us gift cards and so far I’ve gone as far as setting up the (no assembly required) high chair.  I also discovered that our Jeep stroller, which is for use on the beach, has an iPod hookup on it!  How freakin’ cool is that?

I picked up some Subway for dinner for the three of us (though Karen paid for most of it) and we ate.  Amanda and Karen then did something upstairs in the nursery- I think Karen was drawing a tree, while I played a little bit of Medieval 2: Total War before we all watched an episode of House.

I have a busy day ahead of me, I think.  I need to mow the lawn, then I want to get in some surfing, and I should probably get a cake for Amanda for when she and Karen get back home.  Painting the nursery some would also be a good idea.

Zach Dotsey