The fence, the fence, the fence is coming down....

How fortunate that my commute was rained/flooded out this morning so I get to work from home! At around 8:30 am, my doorbell rang. The contractors from our builder were here to replace the fence. They don't really give a lot of notice... and I imagine they are just squeezing us in today, so I understand, but still... I'm glad I was home to let them in. If I hadn't been, the crowbars they were carrying probably would have done the job anyway.

Luckily they also think the fence needs to be replaced, not just repaired. They have, however, decided to go with a different style of fence, one they consider to be more stable. I'm a little sad because it won't match our mini-fence, which I absolutely adore, but that's ok, I guess. It will be a solid privacy fence and I imagine that might help a little more in keeping the rats out, but I guess it depends on how close it comes to the ground. I'm just excited that it won't look like a truck ran into our fence anymore. I don't think that's really what happened, but, well, that's what it was looking like from the outside.

It's been less than an hour and they already have one whole side down and are drilling the posts out of the concrete right now. They said the fence will be done by the end of the day, which is good because I don't want to have to spend the weekend guarding my patio furniture from Cham!

Yay for the JFX Farmers' Market

Bill is VERY happy that the market is open again! I've been telling him it would be soon, but the sound that came out of his throat when he saw his first cat grass of the season was so beautiful!



Of course, this year he has to share it with Jack who is also a fan. We bought two. And yes, I know we can grow our own wheat grass, but I like to buy it from the cat grass man. He's nice.

For the non-feline members of the house, I also picked up spinach, asparagus, eggs, bread and some free-range organic frozen beef. Most of the offerings today were plants, but we already stocked our garden. If only they had opened earlier... or I'd been more patient! Remind me next year to wait for the market.

My faith in humanity has been restored... for now

My doorbell rang yesterday afternoon. When I opened it, I saw a tree, and my neighbor Joe was already digging! Our neighborhood association, of which we are active participants, did an impromptu tree planting a couple of blocks over to coincide with mulch day. They picked up an extra tree for us, and bonus, they did most of the work to plant it! Our neighbor across the street (who has killed 5 trees by over watering) asked where hers was, but Joe, ever the diplomat, was able to say "we'll be able to get you one this fall" when the city gives them out. This was purchased with association money, and she's never been a member.


So here's our replacement tree. With stakes and mulch, and a big thick trunk. It's a flowering pear, which I know is not the best choice for a street tree, but, well, it was a gift. And if those kids TOUCH it, they are getting pounded. I yelled at a two year old yesterday because she was pushing on one of the stakes. I don't care... and besides, why is a 2 year old wandering around unattended anyway? Oh right... her mom was still hung over.

Rocket to Venus was a hit!

Thank you to everyone who chimed in on my restaurant query! I was able to get reservations for a booth at Rocket to Venus and it was pronounced "Cool!" by my brother-in-law. He said "I knew you'd know just where to go..." and I had to admit that I asked for help on my blog. Still earned cred though, so thanks so much!

Our 15 year old nephew gorged himself on the cheese steak, which was so big he couldn't finish his fries. That was pretty impressive! Matt and I enjoyed our wimpys (sliders) and the Parisians had a flatbread pizza and steamed shrimp. Our niece with the food allergies claimed she wasn't hungry, but did have 2 Shirley Temples. The fried pickles helped add to the "weird" quotient, as did our waiter, who was suitably eccentric, and possibly stoned. All in all, a success!

Looking for "WEIRD" restaurants in Baltimore

So my brother in law is doing a quick fly-in tomorrow on his way from Paris to Mexico. We're planning to go to dinner... first he mentioned wanting to go someplace "cool and funky" so I threw out some suggestions like Bicycle, Pazo, Tapas Teatro, Salt, Three..., etc.... but apparently those are too "hip". He's looking for something "weird".

ummm.....

So we think he's imagining Baltimore in the early '90s, as he knew it. And honestly, I can't think of anyplace I would call "weird" where I'd want to go to dinner on a Saturday night. So this is where you come in! Readers, help?? Where can I take two Parisians for dinner on a Saturday night that would be "funky", "cool" yet "weird" and not make me cringe? He's got a lot of money thanks to the Euro, but we don't. It would be great if it were kid friendly... his 11 and 15 year old will be joining us. And the 11 year old has food allergies.

I'm sure somebody out there has something up their sleeves!

Glimpse into our garden

I should mention that this is out back, within our locked fence. That's why it still exists!


Bill, stopping to smell the Clematis, before he attempts to chew on it and gets yelled at.

Clematis, or as my neighbor Jen calls it, chlamydia. You can get both at Home Depot, I'm sure.

Strawflower... it's sort of crispy when you touch it. This will bloom out like a daisy.


Strawberry!!! Woo hoo!

Where a strawberry comes from...


City herbs... Texas Tarragon, Thyme, Cinnamon Basil


An overplanted herb garden... I couldn't resist... Rosemary, Sage, Lemon Verbena, Sweet Majoram and Dill. Bill is obsessed with the Dill and has already eaten half of it.



Variegated sweet potato vine. I've never seen it before so I had to have one.



Lucy wants to know why SHE never gets to go outside. Of course she forgets that she is terrified of the outside world.

A bounty on their heads...

Whomever did this must be shot*... If only we could get an informant.


Perhaps more appropriately we could mount the head on the "pike"... but we think there was probably more than one person involved. Children probably. Is there any wonder why I hate the children on my street? HATE them.

Here's the victim. So healthy... so green... and directly in front of our house. Or at least it was.



If the blog is quiet for awhile it could be because I'm in jail for murder*, or dead. I am SO angry.

The next tree just may be wrapped in barbed wire. RAZOR wire. AND POISON IVY. and surrounded by a 7 ft. tall fence.

yeah.

* I've been advised to say that this is not ACTUALLY a threat of murder... just a representation of my hopes and dreams... if these kids do happen to actually be killed, let me say for the record that "I didn't do it." Thanks!

Property question...

Ok, hoping somebody out there knows the answer or where to look for the answer....

Last night our neighbor mentioned that he planned to remove the concrete block wall that runs between our properties. Who does it belong to? Can he do that? He's not all that efficient, so I don't expect it to happen immediately, but it was the first time he'd said anything about it and it made me wonder... is it his? Do we share it?

so where do I find out? do I have to get a surveyor?

Eh, I guess I'm ok

Interesting week so far. Along the way I've been told to RELAX. Do you know what the natural reaction to being told to relax is? For me it's an instant tension. My shoulders seize. My jaw locks. My head aches. It's not easy. I don't take direction well. One could even call me anti-authority.

And yet, I need to relax.

At least that's what the dr. said at the ER on Monday morning when what I thought might be heart related was ruled to be a mere anxiety/muscle tension issue. Ah. ok. Well, good to know. The ticker is fine. The brain is not. I cannot chill out... but the two dr.-sanctioned days off did help a bit. Of course, back at work, I'm back to tense, but at least I know I can semi-ignore those pains in the chest.

Did I mention I am anti-authority? Well, this dr. didn't help... for the record, he was this close to actually SMIRKING at me for even thinking it was an actual physical problem. Hell, I don't care... I have insurance... if I think it might be a heart issue, hook me up and check it out, ok? (He did. Two EKGs and labs prove why he was smirking.)


deep breaths.

(and mom, I didn't call because everything is a-ok. No need to alarm, etc...)