SumSumSummertime

When I think of that day...

2011-09-11T13:55:00.001-04:00

My "where I was" story is here, written on the 5th anniversary: I'm actually relieved its raining today.

Today, five years later, is the tenth anniversary.

10 years.

In ten years, I have fallen in love, gotten married, moved to another state, taken another job, bought a new car... I even have different pets, and many different friends. Ten years is a long time.

Why then can I still tell you what I was wearing that day? Why does every newscast bring tears to my eyes? Every photo, every video. I can't turn on the tv today. I just can't. It's still too fresh. Ten years later.

When I think of that day, the feeling that overwhelms me most isn't sadness, it's loneliness. Sadness was there, crushing sadness, but the most dominant emotion that sticks in my head is how alone I felt. When I walked out of my office, I didn't have anybody to run to. I had no family in DC, no way to get in touch with the few friends I had then. My boyfriend at the time was out of town. Even my cat was away, at the vet, having had surgery the day before. You know that "aching for a hug" feeling? That was me. In a crowded hotel lobby. There was so much loneliness in that room, every single person there wanted to be somewhere else, but nobody could figure out where to go, how to get there. My apartment was a mere 5 miles away, but it may as well have been in California for me that day.

It had been a beautiful, crisp, clear day, but being outside felt wrong. It felt dangerous. When I checked myself into that anonymous hotel room, that cost more than I have ever spent on a hotel room, I drew the curtains, turned off all the lights, and turned on the tv. I enrobed myself in darkness, with the flicker of the video footage my only source of light, not that you could look at it and see light. I made a few phone calls, but I ached so much that day. When I was finally back in the arms of friends, of family, when my cat was home, life slowly resumed, but that day, the thing that sticks with me is how completely alone you can feel.

A few days ago I read a comment on an article in the NY Times saying that our obsession with Facebook, with texting, with having our smart phones on us at all times stems from the way we felt that day. The day nobody could reach anyone. It created a vacuum that just cannot be quenched. That we must be in touch at all times because we so vividly remember how hard it was to not be able to hear our loved ones' voices, to not know if our friends were ok. I think there is a lot of truth to that. I had a cell phone then, but the battery was dead. That doesn't happen anymore. I always charge it. Every night. Constantly. That was one of the vows I made to myself back then... a talisman against terror. Keeping my phone charged was all I could do to have a lifeline, even though I know in a true crisis, my phone will not work. It doesn't matter. Ninety nine percent of the time its your perception of reality that counts most.

Pizza bones

2011-07-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

Woke up thinking of Maggie. Had to repost a memory of her.

http://sumsumsummertime.blogspot.com/2009/03/acquired-habits.html

Acquired habits...

I was thinking about this randomly today...

Our family dog was Maggie. Smuggled into our house at just 6 weeks old, she was hairless with a pink heart in the center of her black nose. My sister kept her in her bathroom for at least a week before my mom noticed. But who could say no to a dog with a heart on her nose? Her hair grew in eventually, swirls and stripes of every shade of brown, black, white, red, and gray. She was a Catahoula with a little Pit, Basenji, Rhodesian Ridgeback mixed in there somewhere... an interesting dog, to say the least. But the use of the word "dog" seems inaccurate when talking about Maggie. She was more of a family member, really. She had a way of asserting herself into the lives of everyone around her. Several ways.

Matt said to me a few weeks ago, "I think it's funny you don't eat your pizza crusts..."

I looked down at my plate, confused.

Then I realized that no, no, I don't. I was saving them for Maggie. We always had to give her the "pizza bones". It was the deal we made with her to 1) keep her out of the delivery driver's car and 2) to stop begging while we were eating.

Maggie died about 6 years ago at a ripe old age, but I'm still saving the crusts for her.

Garden Notes

2011-07-25T12:50:00.001-04:00

It has been a long, hot summer already, and it's still July.

The big drama of the year so far was getting "attacked" by the rue I put in my garden plot last year. Though the plant was beautiful and flourished in its sunny spot, apparently my downfall was accidentally breaking a branch of it while I was watching a swallowtail catterpillar munch away. The sap got on my skin, and as I stood there in the sunlight, working and sweating hard in the garden, the sap was burning my skin. Nasty blisters resulted. Scars are sticking around. The plant, however, has been evicted. sigh.

It has not been all that successful a year in the garden. The peas were good, but then it flipped hot right after I picked the first bag, and we only got one more picking out of them before I had to take them down.

The zucchini died quickly, and the lemon squash seems to be ok, but we've only picked TWO. I've only picked 1 cucumber, out of about 10 plants. The melons got a slow start but seem to be doing ok. We will see if any fruit set before our vacation. The green beans were eaten (almost all of them) by rabbits.

It has not been the best year for tomatoes either. We had a lot of wet weather early in the spring, then a lot of heat, and now its hot and dry. The Cherokee Purples have been huge, and quite delicious, but I've dealt with a bit of rot, and a bit of animal attacks on them. I would grow them again, but it is frustrating to see rot on a tomato the size of your hand.

The German Strawberry tomatoes are delicious, but they have been very problematic. LOTS of blossom end rot, and even just straight up blossom drop. I don't think I'd plant it again.

The Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, has made lots of perfect, round tomatoes. A bit small, but a good size for 2 to just have a bite, or 1 person to eat whole.

The brandywine have been slow. Just picked the first ripe one this week. The leaves are curling in the heat, and stems are breaking off too.

The yellow pear are slightly disappointing... the plant itself has not been thriving, and the tomatoes are hard to find when they are ripe. It's possible that the tomatillos are bullying it too much, but I will seek out a different yellow pear next time.

and yet, I have not given up.....

waking

2011-03-17T17:09:00.000-04:00

My seedlings are growing.
My soil is turned.
My radishes are sprouting and so are the peas.
Tomato towers are coming,
trying cucumbers on willow.
The garden is waking.
Life is good.

It started with an email...

2011-02-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

A simple little missive. "It's time to plant peas!" This popped into my inbox yesterday, via SproutRobot.com, a service I signed up for last year and forgot about. But luckily it didn't forget about me! It reminded me, oh so simply, that it is TIME, once again, to get my hands dirty!

YAY!!!

Oh, it is time to plant peas... which means I need to get myelf over to my garden plot and check out what winter did. Of course, winter isn't over yet. Far from it. That's the point, peas like cold weather... but spring is coming. I need to check on my garlic planted last fall. See if the daffodils and hyacinths are peeking up yet. See how hard the soil is. And plant some peas!

It is ALSO time to plant seeds for eggplant, peppers and, in a week, tomatoes. I will be hosting these seeds in the new greenhouse tower that will be gracing our front window for the next couple of months. What? If you can't tell I'm a gardener when you walk into my house, you might be shocked by the dirt and tools sitting everywhere....

Today and tomorrow we have some unseasonably wonderful weather. This weekend it will be cold again. Time is short, tasks are long, but that's ok. It's gardening time!

Whew! Made it through another winter!

Resolutions

2011-01-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions, because, frankly, it's cliche. But I'm realizing I want some things out of 2011 that I need to actually focus on...

1) Take more time off to just be. I have a LOT of vacation time. I think some random days off here and there are a good use of it. Frankly, we can't afford 3 weeks in Europe, so I may as well find another way to enjoy it!

2) Spend my time with the people and things that matter most to me. I give a lot of my time away to my commute, to busyness, to errands, to frustration. I'm going to put more of my time towards following my bliss.

3) Grow. Grow plants, grow healthier habits, grow my mind. I'm in a growing mindset now. And I can't WAIT to get back into the garden.

4) Ignore perfection. I'm very much into perfection. It's a very bad thing. I need to ignore the idea of it. There's a lot more good in this world than can ever be perfect. And that's enough.

5) Breathe. Breathe in my garden, breathe in my yoga practice, breathe in love and life and all there is to enjoy out there. Just breathe.

I'm trying to let go of negativity. I'm not worried about the bad things. There's too much bad in this world to think about. If it's bad, I don't have time for it. If you're negative, I don't have time for you. Life's too short.

So following my new guidelines, next week I will be taking 2 days off to spend some quality time with my longtime friend, Sheila. We're having a girls weekend, complete with chick flicks, gossip, and fun, while she undergoes her 2nd round of chemotherapy in a hospital in Houston. Life's too short to worry. Focus on bliss.

Updated!

2011-01-05T16:31:00.005-05:00

I've been to all the red states. Still have a bit more traveling to do! I think I can get most of that with one really long road trip....

Roadtrippin'

2011-01-05T16:20:00.000-05:00

I've been everywhere, man. I've been everywhere....

It seems like the last two months were non-stop road trips for us, probably because, well, they were. Matt and I have figured out that we enjoy traveling by car because
1) we get to set the schedule
2) there's nobody else around to annoy us (except for those other drivers...)
3) I'm less likely to get arrested that way (Just say NO to the TSA)
4) You can take whatever you want to take... and buy whatever you want to buy... just so long as it fits in the car
5) we actually enjoy each other's company

So for Thanksgiving, we took a week off and drove south.

Spent a night in Richmond, a night in Durham/Chapel Hill, 2 nights in Savannah, 2 nights in Charleston, and a night in Norfolk. It was fantastic. We saw Spanish moss, beaches, wild horses, sunsets. We ate VERY well. We walked a lot, at least we did in Savannah. And we generally had an amazing time together just checking out the world. No real agendas... no weddings to attend, no relatives to visit.... just doing what we wanted to do. Loved it.

Then about 2 weeks later we flew up to Boston to spend a weekend with our friends Jen and Dan. The four of us drove to Vermont for a winter weekend at a B&B. It was so great to be with our friends, in this quirky New England area, stopping at Harpoon Brewery, King Arthur Flour, an amazing glass shop with it's own hydro-electric power... very cool... Of course, for that trip, the only "on the road" part was supposed to be the 2 hours from their house to the B&B... but on our way to the airport we got the call that our return flight was canceled. So we rented a car and drove the 10 hours home, with only 1 short stop for dinner and 2 quick stretch caffeine/gas breaks. WHEW. Not a relaxing road trip, but a necessary one, and in the end, mostly enjoyable. We made the best of it, joking that it's a shame our flight hadn't been canceled before we went to the brewery because we would have bought more!

And then 5 days later we drove to Texas, via Morgantown, WV, Lexington, KY, Little Rock, etc...

So in about a month we drove from Vermont to Georgia to Texas. WOW.

That's probably why I just really don't have much desire to get in the car these days. Glad to be home.

Homesteading

2010-07-30T12:06:00.002-04:00

Five years ago this week, Matt signed the papers to buy our home. FIVE YEARS. Wow, it has flown by. And yet we've come a long way in five years. When we first moved in we were quite tentative about the area. We were unsure about what we'd done, worried a little but trying to keep it hidden.We had a lot of challenges too. A lot of reasons to doubt. I'm not sure if it was our stubbornness or our naivete that kept us going. Whatever it was, I can say that the troubles in the beginning are mostly forgotten now. We're completely happy here and for me at least, that grows truer everyday.

Yesterday, however, was an adventure.

We redid our home office earlier this year, and my desk is right next to the window. I telecommute one day a week, so I was sitting at my desk, working, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted some teenage boys in the alley. We don't have any teenage boys living on our block, so this is of immediate concern. Especially because they were cruising slowly, one on a recumbent bike, the other walking beside him.

Slowly up the alley they went, and I kept my eyes on them, turning around to look out the other window. They stopped at the base of the parking pad of a house across from me and down a few houses. There wasn't a car in the spot, and the grass was a little tall, but it is an occupied home. When I saw them walk up to the window and peer in, with their hands cupped to the glass, I called 911. I watched as they pulled the screen down together and placed it in front of the door. I was tempted to just scream out the window at them, like I often do at people looking suspicious, but I knew these guys needed to be caught, so I waited impatiently for the police.

One of the guys pushed the window open an inch or two, and at that point another neighbor on the row, a little further down than me, came outside. They saw him and they hid behind the AC Compressor, watching him the whole time and not noticing me in the window. I watched them watch him while I was on the phone with 911. One of them looked like he was about to jump up and run away. The other one, probably the older one, started to inch the window up, bit by bit. By the time the neighbor went inside he had it almost all the way open. He pushed it up the rest of the way and jumped inside, with the other boy right behind him.

I called 911 again and said "they're in the house!" and while I was on the phone with them, the boys jumped out of the house, with a laptop. I said "They've got a laptop!" and they took off. A police officer, gun drawn, came down the alley from the opposite direction and I opened my window to tell him which direction they went. I was completely annoyed that he'd arrived late, but in reality the time passed so oddly that it was probably just a minute or two.

Then something amazing happened. Foxtrot showed up! Foxtrot is the official name of the police helicopter everyone refers to as "the Ghetto bird". With the helicopter the police can see between all the blocks of row houses quickly, and that's exactly what happened. I was standing next to an officer in the alley when I heard on his radio "They're coming up ___ st now!" The officer took off running. I'm not sure which officer actually managed to catch them, but there were a lot of people involved and it all happened in a matter of just a few minutes. The boys still had the property on them, and still had the bike I'd first noticed.

I was still in the alley talking with neighbors about what had happened. An officer took a report from me and then I was asked to identify the suspects. Another neighbor was on the phone with the home owner. The alarm was still going off. I think I was pretty shaken up, standing there in the noon day sun, adrenaline pumping.

I jumped into the back of a tinted window car and was driven to the suspects, who looked really upset at having been caught. I'm sure they didn't expect a helicopter. They certainly didn't think anybody would see them. I hope they know not to mess with my block again. I was able to positively identify them so they were put in the lockup van and taken away. I was then taken to the police station to give my statement. That took a few hours, but I was completely happy to comply.

Back home, I knew I couldn't get any work done that day so I took the afternoon off. Talked to the neighbor whose home it was and confirmed that she'd gotten her laptop back and nothing else was missing. That window just hadn't been clipped fully when it had been locked. The boys were 14 and 16 years old, and they really seemed to know what they were doing. I think the best part is that the police suspect these guys were responsible for a lot of other burglaries. The officer said they found car keys on them as well. So while I'm really upset they were able to get into her house and swipe something, the fact that she got it back quickly and they got caught was pretty perfect.

My day of crime-fighting, however, left me completely exhausted. Looking forward to the weekend.

I'm 33 for a moment...

2010-06-10T16:26:00.002-04:00

It's birthday time here at SumSumSummertime. Kind of a quiet one really, no parties planned, but that's ok. Tonight we're heading out with some friends to the first night of the Greek Folk Festival, where all the Greek food is still homemade in the kitchens of the Greek families. It's pretty awesome, my favorite Baltimore festival. I expect lamb, dolmathes, loukamathes, baklava, and lots of dancing in circles.

Tomorrow morning we're heading out to Charlottesville for a little weekend away, our first trip this year that does not involve anybody else's life events. It's been a busy wedding year, and it takes two (possibly more) hands to count the number of pregnant women I know! A good year for love, it seems. Yep, definitely in my mid-30s.

In the garden the tomatoes are growing, the cucumbers are vining up the trellis, the eggplants are flowering, the sunflowers are getting taller... it's going to be a great summer!

wait, water, weed

2010-05-30T10:19:00.004-04:00

I spent about four hours at my "farm" yesterday. That's what I've taken to calling the plot at the "city farm" over in Patterson Park. I had work to do. All the seeds I planted managed to germinate, so thinning out the plants was in order. And after a week of rain and heat, the weeds were out of control. Of course, after about an hour of weeding, once I got to the middle of the last bed, I looked at what I was pulling out and thought "hmm... I wonder if these are the primroses I planted?" Oh well.

I worked my way through my task list, hammering corners on the beds to make seats, placing straw around my tomatoes to keep out the weeds, watering everything... but of course it was when I was laying on my back in the mulch, exhausted, when a fellow farmer approached me for a chat. She said we'd both been working too long and we needed a break to rest our backs. Wow, was she right.

She's been at the farm for 7 years now, and she spent almost an hour telling me stories as we walked around the garden plots. My favorite was the tale of the "revenge cage" that a man built to keep the squirrels out, but the birds keep getting in, so he has to leave the door open anyway. Or the woman who was told to put paper bags over her ears of corn so the squirrels couldn't see them... but they could smell them, and when she pulled those bags off she found that every single kernel was picked clean, in the privacy of the bag. There was the tale of her friend who saw a squirrel pull a tomato off her plant right in front of her and leap over to a picnic table to eat it. She yelled "you'd better eat the WHOLE thing" at him, and he did, but tossed the stem back at her when he was done. I was laughing the whole time.

All the planning, all the work, all the sweat and sunburn, and the squirrels really do think it's all for them. I guess squirrels are better than rats. Cuter anyway.

So I may not have the bounty I have planned for, but at least I'll have days like yesterday, where completely covered in dirt, sweat, and sunburned AGAIN, I left the garden smiling and happy.

All I have to do now is wait, water and weed.

A dirt manicure

2010-04-16T11:40:00.004-04:00

I should have known how deeply I loved gardening. When I was a kid I planted a potato in a spot in the yard that I thought was just perfect. My dad thought it was a weed and chopped it down. I cried. The next potato had a fence around it.

Last year I put my name on the waiting list for a spot in the Patterson Park Community Garden. I was surprised to get a call about a month ago telling me there was a plot available. I handed over my money order and signed a lease on plot #19, or 91 if you read like a normal person... I wonder if they would mind if I repainted the sign in a non-dyslexic format?

I had my work cut out for me before I even signed on the line. I was fortunate to get to meet with the city farms lady in person and see the available plots, so I was able to choose between swamp-land, marsh-land and shade. I choose the marsh. She said "it's in a low spot. Needs more drainage." It looked more promising than the below-sea-level plot in the back corner that I had already been warned about by an experienced neighbor. It was suggested that I build raised beds to avoid the trench situation the previous tenant had created.

Raised beds. Ok. Seems reasonable. I checked out a book on square-foot gardening that said the same thing. By going deep the plants could be closer together, a bigger yield from a smaller space. I used graph paper to sketch out my plot and then made modular beds, moving them around until I got the most pleasing design. And then I measured the plot, realized I was a foot off from what the contract said, and redesigned it.

The first Saturday in April, Matt and I, list in hand, ventured to Home Depot. We were looking for 2"x12"x12' lumber. Every single board in that stack at HD had a big crack in it. So we got back in the car and went to Lowes. MUCH improved. And they had 16' too so we could save a little bit of cash on some of the pieces we needed. Driving only a Camry, and not wanting to spend the day sawing, we had all the cuts made at Lowes, which added a mere $2.50 to the price. I highly recommend just having them cut. I still don't know how we got all that lumber in the car, but we did.

It took two days of hammering nails to get those boxes built, but damn I was good at it towards the end, and walked away quite proud of my accomplishment. Exhausted, with a flare-up of my wrist tendonitis, and a bit too much sun, but PROUD. A lot of people came and went in the garden that weekend, and the one thing they kept saying was "that's going to be a lot of dirt..."

Damn.

So we spent almost $400 on lumber and the parts to put the boxes together. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that soil would cost the same! So much for $30 being a bargain for a garden. That's just the entry cost. We were looking at a money pit. I did the math on cubic feet. I cried a bit. I went out of town (for a wedding), and wouldn't you know I dreamed about my garden?

I was in Las Vegas and all I could think about was my little plot #19.

So back in Baltimore for a few days before the next wedding, I have to get the soil. I have to. I have to! If I don't, all my seedlings and all my building will be for naught. I'm fundraising.... would you like to help fill my garden beds? Think of it this way, the soil will forever stay in Patterson Park! I'm just the caretaker for a while.

Donate to the cause?

garden projects

2010-03-16T08:25:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I bought a new hose for the garden. And a hose hanger. Over the weekend we bought a powerwash wand at the home and garden show but I figured the diameter of our coil hose was probably not going to allow for enough pressure to the pressurewand... so I upgraded.

I can't wait for it to 1) stop raining and 2) get warm enough where I can actually work on the patio. I have big plans for this year, but almost all of those plans require extensive manual labor, which requires free time and good weather to coincide. Therein lies the challenge.

We'll be gone or are already booked for every single weekend in April. Weddings, baby shower, parents visiting, etc. I think I may need to take a few days off in early May for my patio's sake.

The plan right now is to clean the concrete really well and then apply a stain so that it isn't so blinding white. I'd like something a little less glaring. A little less likely to look dirty. And I want to accomplish this BEFORE we start the plantings because once the pots are down, I don't want to have to pick them up. This is mostly due to the drip irrigation system. Once everything is set up just right, it's a pain to move the plants, the drippers, etc. They shall stay where I place them.

I also need some time to repaint the cinder block wall that had an encounter with ice of tremendous proportions, causing paint to just PEEL off with it.

Oh, and we should get the gutter fixed. And the siding.

and I need to repaint the back door. And the front for that matter.

and probably the upstairs window frames, but I'll hire someone good with a ladder to do that.

yeah.

Also, why are lounge cushions $200? really? why?

What I expect to see in my garden this year :

tomatoes (2 kinds)
basil (2 kinds, possibly three)
mint (3 kinds)
chives
oregano
majoram
thyme (2 kinds, maybe 3)
sage
rosemary
eggplant
sweet red popper peppers
melons (small ones)
hyacinth vine
sweet peas
raddishes
spinach
lettuce
sunflowers (3 kinds)
zinnias (4 kinds)
cosmos (3 kinds)
elephant ears
coneflowers
black eyed susans
strawberries
dianthus
petunias
daisies
sedum
roses
verbena
lantana
sweet potato vine
carrots
lemon balm
nasturtiums
cat grass (wheat)
lemon grass (also eaten by the cat)

and probably dozens more I haven't thought about yet...

One more month till the end of frost.

and repeat

2010-03-15T22:16:00.003-04:00

My mom is very much over my last blog entry and just cannot fathom how I have not written about the three blizzards, the road trip, the holidays, etc...

I have a blog?

oh right.

So today I did something very familiar to the readers I used to have. Dropped my Camry off at the body shop. Yes, I got hit. Again. Last week. In the parking garage at the BWI rail station. The woman behind me sneezed and bumped me, hard enough to do some damage, not hard enough to hurt my (already aching) back. So car is in the shop, rental car sucks, repeat.

got it one piece at a time....

anyway, I hate winter enough to not want to talk about it. It was pretty ghastly this year and I'm still recovering. As is my house, thanks to the ice that damaged the gutter that caused a leak with this week's tropical storm meets nor'easter.

it will be spring soon.

flower pots have been purchased. veggie seeds have been started. I'm dreaming big.

is this better mom?

Remembering Terror

2009-11-10T09:44:00.002-05:00

Tonight, if all goes according to plan, the elder DC Sniper will be executed. As much as I support the death penalty, I don't want it applied willy-nilly. This time, however, it completely fits the crime. Though it was applied to just one of the murders, he's really being held responsible for all of them, and the general terror he inflicted upon the region for those weeks. It's hard to explain for those who were not living in the area, but I still remember how much it changed our lives for a while. I lived in Arlington, VA from '99-'04, and I was terrified.

It was October of 2002, just a year after the 9/11 events that still impacted daily life. We were still putting ourselves back together, I think. The metro was still full of armed policeman. The fighter jets could still be heard overhead. And now, there was this complete random violence. Some unknown person was killing people all over the area, without any real witnesses or any method to the madness. Of course, it didn't get much better when they tried to find a pattern. Were we safe getting gas? Were we safe walking around outside? The Home Depot shooting? That's the one I used to shop at in Arlington. I'd been there the previous evening.

I went on a trip during those weeks. It had been scheduled for months, but I really hoped it would get my mind off of it, and that maybe it would be resolved while I was away. That, of course, did not happen. It was on the news in the Carribean just as much as it was in DC. And it was still going on when I returned home. I stopped taking the bus then. My neighbor worked with me and we thought driving to work together sounded like a great idea. When I filled my car with gas, I would slump down against the side of my car. I went to the grocery store that had underground parking. Evening walks did not happen. We didn't know what to expect next.

Even now I don't think I can convey the worry, the fear, the anxiety that ran through me then. Just know that tonight's execution is the final exhalation of that held breath. I think this is a well deserved execution.

Wishing into existence?

2009-11-08T18:47:00.003-05:00

I think this might be out of "The Secret", but I haven't read it yet so I can't be sure. I just bought a reading chair for the office. No, not the one from Pottery Barn. It's actually better.

I just bought a Sherrill 8 way hand tied lounge chair for $395, with free delivery. The original price was $1710. tee hee! It's a little bigger than the PB chair, but only by a smidge. If it's too big, it will work in the living room, but I bought it to kick back and read next to the window.

It will be delivered the Monday before Thanksgiving. And the office comes closer to completion.

Perhaps I'm a little jumpy...

2009-11-06T08:06:00.003-05:00

Several years ago there was a Chinese man who would get on the metro train, sing a hymn, and get off, presumably to repeat the process. He had a nice voice, though the accent was strong on some of the words. It may have been the only English he knew. I remember the first time I encountered him I was a little freaked out. This was well before 9/11, but somehow the sound of someone's voice rising above the normal hushed sounds of the morning red line made me sure he was going to kill us all as soon as he was done with his hymn. Eventually I got used to him though, and it didn't concern me. He never said anything except for Excuse me when he started, and he did not ask for money. I think he liked singing to a captive audience.

Well, today was a bit different.

I have seen this guy walking up and down the streets of my section of DC, chanting on and on about Jesus. He sounds the same as the schizophrenic who hangs out by the CVS telling people to give him their money instead of the evil corporations. I have always wondered where the man worked because he seems well dressed and does seem to have a purpose to his walk, but the chanting about Jesus just seems so, I don't know, CRAZY. Especially the way he uses the word "DEAD" in every third sentence. I have seen him, but I didn't think much about him.

Until today.

He got on at Gallery Place, which was actually where the Chinese guy used to board too. We were in the last car of the train, which was rather empty today, especially considering the metro was delayed. He stood at the end of the car and began his ranting. I had my headphones on, turned up pretty loud, but I kept hearing "Jesus" and "Dead" and "Bible". Suddenly it dawned on me that the crazy guy from L street actually COMMUTES. I exchanged glances with my fellow passengers as he continued his roar of Jesus. After Metro Center, however, he was greeted by a Metro Police officer (the first one I'd seen in a LONG time) who tried to explain to him that 1) you can't do that on Metro and 2) he HAD to stop. They had a heated discussion, which we all watched, but he got really angry and started yelling again right before my stop, Farragut North. He chanted all the way down the platform, and was literally right behind me for a while, before he bumped into me on the escalator and actually said "sorry".

I was in a confrontational mood, as I often am before 9 am, and I don't fear much since I was fairly certain if he was going to break out his gun and shoot us down, it would have been on the train. So as he continued his ranting up the main escalator, I stood on the other one and said "Not EVERYONE is Christian, you know. You're insulting people." He said "I'm not insulting anyone!" I said "You are insulting ME. You are a religious TERRORIST".

He got louder then, crossed L and walked down the same direction I did. I thought about asking the Golden Triangle Courtesy officer to go confront him and tell him to quiet his rantings. He's making the people of downtown DC nervous.

I get that Christianity encourages people to spread it, much like a virus, but what I don't get is why people think chanting about Jesus dying in a business district is really going to encourage any new recruits. He sounded like a nut job, plain and simple. Makes me want to brush up on my Hindu knowledge to throw it back at him, but I'm a nonbeliever, through and through. You have every right to your religion, but the minute you send it my way, I'll deflect it back to you.

I can't wait to see him again.

House Wish List

2009-11-03T11:37:00.007-05:00

I've been doing a lot of browsing lately, but as I can't afford anything these days, here's what I wish I could buy....

1. Pottery Barn Arlington Chair and Ottoman for the office...

2. The Crate and Barrel Vivian Chandelier for the dining room.

3. The Lofabed sectional for the basement. With different arms...

4. A couple of these small metropolitan tables to replace our coffee table, so when we have to move it, the tables are SMALLER! and easier to relocate!

5. A new sofa for the living room. The cats have destroyed our second-hand cheap leather sofa. I have no idea what I want to replace it with though, so no picture. yet.

ah, a girl can dream.... and that's about it these days! :-)

A much improved outlook

2009-10-30T13:00:00.003-04:00

We have a new cat. Well, at least it feels that way. Lucy is a doll these days. I can hear her purring from across the room! Yes, we put her back on the Prozac and it has made all the difference! She's calm, she's friendly, she's even, dare I say it, outgoing! And she has not once peed anywhere inappropriate since she started taking it, knock on wood.

She used to sleep in bed with us, between our feet, but several months ago she started sleeping downstairs, in a chair, just like she did during the day. A couple of weeks ago though I noticed she was in bed with us when we woke up. And last night she actually jumped up on the bed as I turned the lights off and she climbed on me as if to say "I'm here!" She spent the whole night with us. I realize that having a cat sleeping in your bed may not exactly be a positive thing for most people, but what it represents to me is that Lucy is feeling good, affectionate, happy. And that is such a great thing that she can have whatever she wants. Also now she doesn't seem annoyed if you accidentally kick her. Awesome.

Our ritual is the same as the previous Prozac time. She gets her "treat" before bed. It's a half a tablet wrapped in a pill pocket, and presented to her. If I say "do you want your treat?" she licks her lips and sits up to wait for it. The other cats are visibly annoyed that they don't get such a thing, but pill pockets are too expensive to be handing out to the masses. I tried to give them the organic turkey jerkey, but they wanted nothing to do with that.

The other amazing thing about the Prozac this time around is that Lucy actually allows other people to give it to her. Originally, she would only take it from me, and only before bed. If I tried at 8 am she didn't want it. This is part of why Matt and I refer to her as the autistic cat. She has her routines and you cannot break them. No way, no how. Except now she's more receptive. The cat sitter was actually able to drop one on top of her food and watch her eat it. Our neighbor Heather was watching her last weekend while we were out of town and when Lucy wouldn't come downstairs, Heather went up and found her sitting on the bed and presented it to her. She took it. It's like a MIRACLE.

The label on the bottle says to give it to her for 30 days and then taper off. I'm going to call her doctor. I have no intention of removing Lucy from her "happy pills". She can take them for the rest of her life as far as I'm concerned. I can hear her purring from ACROSS THE ROOM! She's doing great. Anxiety is mostly a forgotten thing for her. We'll keep up the Prozac as long as she is doing well. Rock on mood-enhanced Lucy. Rock on.

Twice equals a tradition!

2009-10-06T21:25:00.005-04:00

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary. We just got back from dinner, and it was lovely, but it might surprise you just a little bit... here it is in a retrospective format!

Two years ago tonight we put these rings on! October 6, 2007.

One year ago tonight, we were on a weekend away. Our anniversary was on a Monday, so we went to the only place that was open. It was fun, sweet, and totally us.

October 6, 2008

So tonight, we set out to continue the new tradition.... We'd originally wanted to go to Zella's and were disappointed to find it closed on Tuesdays, so we went to Pub Dog instead. Yum!

October 6, 2009

Of course last year, we did a fancy dinner as well, we just did it on a different night. We'll probably do that this year too. The fun, though, of having this pizza on our anniversary tradition is that it can take us through our lives together..... we have so many options. I even joked tonight that someday we'll go to Italy for pizza! We can go cheap or pricier, delivery or eat in, we could even make it ourselves. It's completely unpretentious, flexible, and fun. And that's really what we are, together.

Happy Anniversary honey! Many more years and pizzas to come!!!!

Buyer's Emotion?

2009-09-21T13:37:00.005-04:00

We've really been cranking down our spending for the last year, so much so that clearly my bank was surprised that I just spent a bit of change on a wedding gift from Crate and Barrel. I felt like I had to justify it to their security dept. when I talked to them to confirm the charge. You know, "well, he's my husband's good friend, and we didn't have to buy a plane ticket for this wedding, and and and...." Hilarious. But really, we haven't been spending crazy money. And I'm to the point where I feel guilty when I HAVE to spend money on something, like restocking our pantry. "But cooking at home saves SO MUCH MONEY! So it's reasonable that I just bought several cans of tomatoes and several boxes of pasta...." How do I get past this guilt?

This weekend we took Lucy to the vet. She needed a rabies shot and had a few issues to resolve that involved some testing. I was a little surprised that the dr. asked us before she performed each test. As in, I think she has an ear infection, but before I prescribe medicine for it, I'd like to look at this under a microscope. That's $30. Is that ok? Well, yes. Otherwise we won't know if she needs the medicine, or what kind of medicine, right? Kind of silly, but still, I appreciate that she asked. I suppose people have said no at some point. I'm sure Lucy wishes I had. She does not appreciate having her ear "filled" with ointment. Do you know how to "fill" an ear with ointment? I'm not quite sure either, but both attempts thus far have been really messy and have created a new hairdo for Lucy as she rubs it out of her ear and onto the fur on the top of her head. She's got a little adolescent boy spike going on.

She's having other lab tests to determine if her recent decisions to not use the litterbox are related to bacteria or to her deep anxiety... so the vet can know whether to put her on antibiotics or prozac. We also have an estimate for her dental work and removal of a growth on her side that make me want to cancel Christmas. The thing is, her teeth won't get any better if we wait.... but it's just so hard to say "sure, I will spend more than a grand on my CAT'S teeth." Especially because I doubt she'll really appreciate it....

Other money pits in the looming future...

1) Matt's nasal reconstruction surgery. Medically necessary, but at the moment we have no idea how much insurance will cover. It's scheduled for February and is much more crucial than Lucy's dental procedure.

2) Replacing the VW. I'd feel better if the airbag light hadn't been on for the last 6 years, but it does still run. Just has a shoddy electrical system. And it will probably need major work in the next year or so.

3) Our Mortgage.... yeah, we should refinance in the next couple of years. But will it appraise high enough? We should do some more work on the house.

4) Which leads to... Home projects: Drywall the utility room? Replace the kitchen floor? Do we really NEED to upgrade the alarm panel?

5) Several weddings in the next year to buy gifts/airline tickets/hotel rooms/outfits for.

They say the recession is ending. Wonder when I'll notice?

hi

2009-09-14T11:16:00.002-04:00

Wow, has it really been over a month? I guess I've been really speechless. I've just spent the last week and a half mostly horizontal with a nasty virus of unknown origin, so I don't quite know what I have to say now either, but Matt suggested I say something. Something. :-)

Anyway, now that I'm essentially vertical again, though still dragging along, I just want to give a supreme thank you to those who surprised me this week. One of the things I always hated about being sick while single was that there wasn't anybody to bring you stuff aside from the Chinese delivery man. Well, I'm not single, but Matt was working all week and had other additional evening events, so at some points I did feel a little alone (though it was not his fault!). But it's a recession, so ordering Chinese wasn't really an option.

Last Thursday Matt was at a baseball game (I saw him on tv!), but my neighbor Joe was having a football party and he stopped by to invite me. When I told him I was sick, he brought me a plate of food including this amazing taco salad that had no salad in it. (his terms) I thanked him profusely and squealed with delight at having dinner brought to my door.

On Saturday, Matt got up early to go work a Home Buying Fair, to encourage people to move to our 'hood. We had no cereal. Toast seemed like too much effort. I was scrolling through Facebook when one of my friends mentioned my neighbor Damian's breakfast sandwiches at the Highlandtown Farmers' Market. I replied that I'd love one but I hadn't been out of my house in four days. She said "I'll bring you one" and then wrote back "Actually, Damian will deliver it himself!" He did indeed! My doorbell rang and Damian stood as far back as he could while he handed me a bag with a roasted lamb buttermilk biscuit sandwich. It was amazing. Matt had just returned from the event and was a little jealous. I let him have a bite before I ate it.

Sunday morning brings the JFX Farmers Market, and Matt headed out the door before I woke up. He called me a little while later to find out what I wanted for the week and I croaked "Bring me a muffin!" but he said "Tina already got you one!" Tina is our newest neighbor that we've been trying to woo into the joys of city life. Matt gives her a ride to the market whenever he can. She did indeed send him home with a cranberry muffin for me.

I'm at work now, with leftover pizza for lunch, but I'm wondering if tomorrow somebody can bring me lunch at my desk? Ha. I think I may have received enough generousity for one cold. Thanks neighbors! You kept me alive!

How to make a hooker cry

2009-08-11T09:01:00.003-04:00

"911 Emergency. Police, Fire or Ambulance?"

"Police"

"What's your emergency?"

"There's a woman passed out on the steps, appears to be in a drugged state."

"Is she breathing?"

"I think so, but I'm not getting any closer."

"Please hold for an ambulance."

"Ambulance, what's your emergency?"

repeat..............

I was on my way out the door when I saw her, crumpled in a heap on the marble steps of the vacant house, 5 doors down. Her personal belongings were strewn about, wallet near her head. The tank top was hiked up enough to see all of the tattoo on her back. I got in my car, picked up the cell phone and called, just as a neighbor walked out of the house next door carrying his toddler. He looked at her as if in disbelief. I wish I could say I felt the same.

When I got off the phone with the 911 dispatch, I rolled my window down and told him that I'd called. He smiled. Then I called Matt and woke him up. Said "I don't think you're going to want to miss this." He filled me in on the rest of the story as I drove to the train station. All of this happened at about 5 minutes after 6 this morning.

I'd seen this woman before. Her curly blond hair is rather distinctive for the hooker community. This slumped over state is also not that uncommon for her. Whatever she was on that made those marble steps look like a comfy place to sleep does not surprise me. What did was her reaction to the attention that arrived shortly.

The paramedics were able to wake her up, so the ambulance left without her. The police checked her ID for outstanding warrants and didn't find any. (amazingly enough) She gathered her things, and then, as she started to cry, she said "I want to thank whoever called the ambulance for me." Matt said "It was my wife." She said "thank her" as she wiped a tear.

He called me in disbelief. I was also shocked. I suppose we all need to know someone cares.

Interestingly, this morning I had intended to write a post about how to embrace Baltimore as a new resident. I'm trying to help someone do that now, but this post seems to belong with that too. Rather than just walking by and thinking "that woman needs to wake up....", I took a few minutes to let her know I cared by summoning emergency response vehicles. Let's just hope she doesn't interpret it as a sign she can crash on our block more frequently.

How do you judge a successful party?

2009-08-09T14:16:00.002-04:00

Was it a success because everyone had fun? Because a spontaneous game of beer pong broke out? Because we had a water balloon fight? Because there were sparkly bubbles? And sweet tea vodka mixed with lemonade? And blackberries soaked in vodka, dropped in wine? Or that there was almost no food left? or that the cats were terrified and hiding under the bed? Or that at the end of the night, you had to forcibly remove one of the guests because he was passed out on the sofa? Or when you count up, you realize that actually 80 would probably be a closer count of the attendees? all of the above!!!

what an exhausting and amazing night it was!!!

Part 2 is tonight at 7. We still have 12 hamburgers, 1 large package of hot dogs and 10 pounds of chicken to cook, plus corn, watermelon, tomatoes....

I just hope that nobody has to be carried home.

Party Mode

2009-08-08T08:09:00.002-04:00

It's 8 am. I slept in, but have been up for an hour. The peach cake is in the oven. The brownies are baked. The peach and blackberry ice creams are made. All I have left to do is

1) go to the farmers market for tomatoes and corn and breakfast
2) return my library books
3) put away the laundry that's on the table in the basement I need to move
4) make the orzo salad and caprese salad
5) make the asiago cheese dip and the cheese ball
6) chill the wine, beer, sodas
7) assemble the sangria
8) bowls for all the chips and dips, etc
9) make myself presentable
10) fill about 100 water balloons.

hmmm... thinking I need to switch the order of 9 and 10.

I'm really really really hoping it doesn't rain. My house is not big enough for everyone.

Overwhelming Bounty

2009-08-03T15:06:00.003-04:00

Had a fabulous summer weekend with Matt. I talked him into dinner and a movie (quite a feat!) on Friday night. We went to Mekong Delta Cafe, downtown, for yummy and cheap Vietnamese. It's BYOB, so that's even more of a plus. After summer rolls and grilled meats, we decided to go out for dessert... so we headed over to Fells Point for gelato from Pitango. I had crema, chocolat noir, and a white grapefruit sorbet. Wonderful! While we were swooning over it on a bench in the Broadway square, a man was playing his trumpet. The sounds hanging in the sweltry summer air were so haunting that I pulled some cash out of my pocket and went in search of him. When I slipped the dollar in his cup, he asked me if I had any requests. I can't seem to pull the name of a tune I want to hear out of the air so I said "play something good!" so he played "What a wonderful world", though it was kind of hard to recognize until the lady across from me started singing along. I slipped another dollar in and then Matt and I headed out to catch the movie.

We don't spend much time in Harbor East, and I'm not sorry about that. It's not really my kind of place. It's expensive, and just a bit too new and polished. The stores all seem really uptight. I recently discovered that I love Taco Fiesta, but holy crap it's pricey! Tacos are supposed to be cheap. Anyway, we weren't going for tacos, we were going to see a movie. I somehow begged Matt into submission and he begrudginly agreed to see (500) Days of Summer, the movie I wanted to see. I did hear a little whine out of him when the couple in front of us got tickets for Funny People, what he wanted to see. But 2 tickets were $21 and I was not spending $21 to see Adam Sandler! After another $20 for a soda and 2 beers, we were an hour early for the movie! He'd thought there might be a line. Well, we had our choice of seats, but still he ended up having to move because the person in front of him insisted on rocking into his knees every couple of minutes.

The movie was freakin' frakin' awesome! The audience was uproarious with laughter, and we were laughing right along with them. Yes, even Matt, who admitted it's not the best movie he's ever seen, but he liked it. It was also a nice length.... the 10 pm movie is a bit much when you get up at 5 am, but it was only 95 minutes long. That I can do. Though I did pass out as soon as we got home, but before I passed out, we agreed to get up early and go berry picking the next day. Lucky me that my husband doesn't mind working for his food!

We got up early, dressed and sunscreened, and ran over to the Highlandtown Farmer's Market, where our neighbor Damian makes and sells AMAZING breakfast sandwiches. Had to have fuel for the road! It's funny to call them "breakfast" sandwiches though... I had roasted pork with grilled peaches on a buttermilk biscuit. Matt had fried chicken with spicy wildflower honey on the same biscuit. Amazing. Did I say that already? He does different stuff every week, so it's worth going just to see what he's going to make.

Fed, we hit the road to Larriland Farms, anxious to get to the berries before everyone else did! We started with blackberries. Oh, the glory of ripe juicy blackberries on a warm summer morning! Especially wonderful when I reached up to pick one over my head and it crushed in my fingers, juice running down my arm. Totally ok, and totally worth it. I think we ate almost as many as we put in our boxes... and our combined picking/purchase was 16 pounds of blackberries. I knew it was getting heavy, holding the box in one arm while I picked with the other.

Of course, our 25 pound box of yellow peaches was much heavier... but we managed to fill it in just about 10 minutes, while talking about peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach cake, blah blah blah.... one peach each, just to try the crop. YUM. And that's why we went to 25 pounds, not just 20.

But we weren't done. On to the raspberries! Not quite as much fun. A lot more bees. And a lot harder to find... we had to trek way in to find any berries but managed to get almost 5 pounds of luscious raspberries, none of which Matt could eat while picking since last time his lips swoll up for some reason. We think it was the pollen on the berries, but no way to really know. He's not allergic to raw berries, but the unwashed ones cause the swelling.

It was almost noon when we loaded the raspberries into the car and cranked up the A/C. It was close to submission time. We were SO hot and sweaty. But those folks at Larriland, they know what they're doing. They had snowballs in the barn. So we went to the barn and ordered the icey treat. Watermelon for me, strawberry lemonade for Matt. That cooled us down significantly... or at least enough to head to the blueberries. In the barn I also bought a 20 pound bag of tomato "seconds" because I wanted to make tomato sauce.

The blueberries almost weren't worth it. We went a month or so ago and got lots of giant blues, but all the bushes were showing us were tiny little berries, sweet but tedious. I figured if I walked further in, I'd find more. So I went ALL the way to the end of the row and picked from those bushes. Matt managed to find me, after a cell phone call, and begged to leave. We worked our way back to the car, slowly, as we picked more and more. Not quite a full bag, but about 4 pounds of blueberries. We were done, doner than done. Done!

We've been to Larriland four times now, and every single time has ended with lunch at the Town Grill, located inside the gas station. The first time we were a bit shocked to find it so good, but now we know to expect something to restore us and balance out all the fruit we ate while picking. When we pulled up, the smell of ribs on the smoker was enough to get us out of the car. We split a rack of ribs and some sweet potato fries, and downed enormous bottles of water. It was just right.

Back in the car, back to Baltimore, ready, oh so ready for a shower and a nap.

Now I'm doing all I can to manage the fruit we picked. I made a blackberry cobbler on Saturday night. Roasted the tomatoes and made the tomato sauce yesterday. And now I'm freezing the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, sheet by sheet, and then into bags. I'm running out of freezer space. The peaches are still firm, but in a day or so, I'll need to start peeling and slicing and freezing them! There's no way I can get through them before they ripen to oblivion. Twenty-five pounds! What were we thinking?

All this in preparation for a patio shindig this weekend... Expecting about 45 people. I'm imagining serving lots of berry/peach food. We'll see how much energy I have left after peeling and pitting 25 pounds of peaches!

Flowers and Cake

2009-07-23T15:41:00.006-04:00

Lots going on in my life right now, but little that I can actually talk about publicly.... so here are some pretty pictures....

Morning Glories growing on the trellis

Strawberries that CANNOT be kept inside the boundaries... along with Matt's favorite, the Non-Stop Begonia.

The green and white plant on the left (don't know the name) is one of the first plants we bought for this house. It's 4 years old, comes back every year, and gets bigger too. We love it.

The flowers in the front are zinnias, grown from seed. They always remind me of my Granni because she planted them every year. I figured out why when I planted them.... super easy to grow from seed, require no maintenance aside from keeping the caterpillars off, and they grow beautiful flowers that look good in a vase and produce MORE when you cut them off. Love them!

Behind the zinnias are orange mint and basil in need of a trim.

Shasta daisies have long been my favorite flower... I bought a few plants at the Cylburn Market Day this year, and they are fantastic! Constantly in flower, long-lasting blooms, AND they are perennials... I get to have daisies all the time! And you can spot some cherry tomatoes in the background, behind the oregano and under the angeliosia.

Daisies are such my favorite flower that in my first apartment, I hand painted them all over the turqoise bathroom walls. It was so pretty that I cried when it was time to move. LOVED my daisies on the bathroom wall... but they are better in person.

On a whim I tossed a packet of sunflower seeds in a gigantic pot. They responded! They are almost 6 feet tall, and about to bloom. I'm SO excited! These are supposed to be Lemon Yellow "Teddy Bear" sunflowers.

As part of my plant addiction, we ended up with a Japanese eggplant.... it's doing well, this is the third fruit of the plant this season.

And just because I don't think I ever posted it, here's the cake I made for Matt's birthday last fall. It's three layers of chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting and peanut butter chocolate ganache. It was heavenly. Also it goes well with the paneling of the bowling alley where we had his party, don't you think?

On that sweet note, I'll end this... hopefully back soon when I have something to talk about that other than what I can't talk about.

I think I'll be cooking this week

2009-07-20T10:11:00.003-04:00

We went to the Farmer's Market on Sunday and this time we took a lazy walk around. Apparently I was in a shopping mood. We bought:

Peaches
Beets
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Tomatoes
Potatoes
French Green Beans
Corn
Zucchini

Pork Chops
Sage pork sausage

and Milk

On Saturday we bought a Watermelon. There are also Brussels Sprouts in the crisper.

I THINK we will have mostly a vegetarian menu this week.

Though I am excited about cutting up the kohlrabi for snacks. I want to serve it the way I had it at Woodberry Kitchen. Raw, with cumin and sea salt. Yum!

an impossible shopping task

2009-07-14T10:36:00.002-04:00

I think if I were less of a perfectionist, this would be easy. But, well, anyway....

so Matt and I have been using paper coffee cups for a couple of years because I hate washing out commuter mugs, taking them with me on my commute, etc.... but since we started carpooling I figured out that I finish my coffee by the time we get to the train so I don't have to take it with me.... and the planet, etc.... so I pledged not to buy any more paper cups.

and now we're almost out.

I thought I had more time?

I need the perfect commuter mugs.

They need to be:

1) insulated, but not so insulated that I can't drink my coffee in my 20 minute ride to the train

2) drip-proof. I don't want to spill coffee on my shirt, but I also don't really want to have to fiddle with gadgets and buttons, etc..... we're not going biking with these, they will stay in the car.

3) fit in the drink holder, side by side. So no handles, or awkward shapes.

4) be easy to wash, absolutely need to be dishwasher safe

5) would prefer that they not be plastic because I don't like drinking hot liquids out of plastic...

6) need to be cheap enough that we could get 6-10 for around $100

7) I want them all to have interchangeable lids. The last thing I want to do is look for a particular lid BEFORE coffee.

8) Oh, and they need to hold about 10 oz. Not 24 oz. or 8 oz. TEN ounces. or maybe 12, but that's it.

9) And I need them by Monday.

Is that enough?

any suggestions?

I really liked the "I am not a paper cup" but it's 8 oz. and I'm not cutting back on my coffee consumption for a mug.... especially since we use k-cups and pay by the cup. ideas?

That time of year...

2009-06-30T11:19:00.003-04:00

We don't stick around for the fourth of July in the city. I'm not really sure why, but I can't think of a single one we've spent in Baltimore.... Maybe it's all the fireworks that make us think of gunshots? or gunshots that we may think are fireworks? Whatever the reason... we leave town. And this year is no exception. This time tomorrow I'll be landing at DFW. Matt lands at Love Field. Different airlines, different airports. Nothing can go wrong there, right?

I'm hoping that the library has some good books to take with me.

So a week in Texas in July isn't exactly ideal, but I was happy to note that the high for the week is a mere 97, which will only feel like 110, so we should be fine. There will be ample a/c, Sonic slushes and pools to be in. Texans aren't stupid... they know better than to go outside in July! I'm going to take the dachshund swimming again. It will be a blast!

Just a warning to my family though... Matt and I are both limping. And no, we didn't beat each other up, even though we have been trying to come up with funny stories that involve me tripping him and him pushing me down the stairs. That's not what happened though. I promise.

No, what happened was much less interesting.... I pulled some muscles in my back while scrubbing my steps on Saturday and reactivated my sciatica. I was able to walk a 5k just fine on Sunday, with minimal pain, but yesterday wasn't pretty. After a round of intense ultrasound/ice packs/electric stim yesterday I'm feeling better but not great today. I'm going for more therapy tonight though so I should be able to get through the 3 hour plane trip and 3 hour drive relatively intact.

Matt's injury is, we think, a tendon pull/tear of some sort. He won't see a dr. He was at a friend's house watching the soccer game on Sunday and when he got up off the couch to open the door, he accidentally stepped down into the vestibule, twisting his ankle and spilling his beer. He heard a pop when it happened, but there is no swelling or redness. It only hurts when he walks, or if you touch it. Ibuprofen is our friend.

So I'm hoping to manage to actually be able to sleep in an unfamiliar bed with this back trouble and Matt is wondering if his injury means he doesn't have to help cut hay... but could still ride the four wheelers....

It should be a fun week.

Lucy's main hobby

2009-06-18T14:01:00.002-04:00

She likes to sleep on pillows. LOTS of pillows.

exhaustion, well earned

2009-06-15T21:27:00.004-04:00

Monday night for me is the end of the weekend. Yes, I know... you're all jealous. But I am grateful to go back to work on Tuesday because I'm so physically exhausted that it's nice to get back to just working on a computer for a few days. So I decided to consciously take a day and do nothing related to the house.... which left me 2 days to work on my list.

Friday night we went to my favorite festival in Baltimore, the Greek Festival. It's awesome. No charge for admission, lots of great food made by real Greek Mamas in their own kitchens, beer, dancing and lots of music. Plus some kind of fried dough ball soaked in orangey-honey-liqueur. We were there with a dozen or so of our closest friends, but my favorite moment was when the police major walked up and said "well, if you are all here, who's watching the neighborhood?" That's how rarely we leave our 'hood.

Saturday morning we had to attend a legislative breakfast for our city councilman. We went with two of our friends from the block, and apparently it's quite odd for young people to be involved in city politics, or at least to attend this meeting, because the little old Highlandtown and Canton ladies at our table were sure we must be Kraft's interns! When I said no, she said "but you're all so young! Why are you here?" I laughed and said "we're homeowners. We live in Patterson Park." There was immense curiousity. And we almost got in an argument over the Red Line. They were shocked that we supported it, even WANTED it. I don't think they really understood why we support public transit.

After the breakfast, Matt and I went up to Lauraville for the home and garden tour. Lauraville was one of those "pie-in-the-sky" neighborhoods when we first started thinking about Baltimore. I wrote it off because it was too far north to allow for my commute, but finally we had a chance to see inside those lovely bungalows. It was very different than our house tour... for one, we had to drive to see all the houses as they were pretty spread out. There were fewer homes, and it cost more too! But it was a nice chance to see some great houses, including one that belongs to a former neighbor. Wow! I no longer begrudge him moving. His home is amazing! Afterwards, we grabbed a late lunch at the Parkside in Lauraville and even won a poster in the raffle drawing. The large beers we had with lunch sent us home for an afternoon nap. I woke up around 6. Good afternoon! And finally I had taken a day off from working!

Sunday saw bloodshed on the patio... Matt and I were attempting the trellis project but he accidentally walked into the saw blade of the recip saw laying (motionless!) on the patio and cut his toe. It was a shallow cut, but a lot of blood so I tended to his injury and then decided that was enough patio work for the day. Luckily the blade was new, so it was sharp and clean. He's doing fine. I also sliced my thumb open with a staple, but it didn't bleed much. I spent my time filling in the seams on the cabinet. We'd had enough, so we went over to Three for their 2nd anniversary party. Much better use of the afternoon/evening.

Finally, it was Monday so I could actually get to work. I primed the spots that I had touched up on the cabinet and then gave the whole thing another coat of paint. It looks perfect now and I'm glad I did it. It's completely "built-in" now. And I finally finished the trellis.

I want to go back to my desk tomorrow. If I were to have another day off I probably wouldn't get the rest I so desperately need, so it's best if I just try to go back to a schedule.

at least my list is a wee bit smaller now.

updated project list

2009-06-12T11:28:00.005-04:00

It seems to help me to have an ongoing list of things to do... I've gotten a lot of work done on the house in the last few months, but I doubt I'll ever run out of projects. This is more for me than for you, but hey, it's my blog...

Immediate, do now:

1) buy more silicon caulk and caulk around the finished/reconstructed window frame to prevent future problems. It needs MORE.

2) buy wood filler and fill in the couple of seams that are bugging me on the cabinet. Paint.

3) Spackle part of wall that used to be covered in trim and touch up wall paint around cabinet, and while the can is open, paint around the thermostat too.

4) Create a frame for the netting the morning glories need. Attach to fence.

5) Repair drywall around front window. That's why Corey dropped off the tools!

Assign to someone else (i.e. Matt):

1) Now that the filing cabinet is fixed and functions properly (THAT was a fun day...) let's use it.... create your neighborhood/tax issues/crime fighting files please?

2) Sand and repaint threshold, OR check with neighbor about marble he says he has for us and see if he can help install it.

3) Remind me to forsake lunch/dinner out for 2 weeks so we can afford the new detail pieces for the front door. The knob and deadbolt are brushed nickel, but the mail slot, bottom plate and peephole are all icky cheap rusty brass. as is the doorbell, for that matter.

4) decide how you want your closet arranged, including measurements... or I will do it for you. and it's YOUR closet. :-)

Later on, but in the looming future:

1) Actually measure for, pick out and order all those pieces for the front door. When they arrive, take the old stuff off and repaint the door. Install new parts.

2) Sand door frame of back door and apply wood hardener so it doesn't rot. Repaint.

3) Sand back door. repaint

4) Design and construct a corral for the trash cans. Probably will be lattice or something, don't know yet. Don't like the plastic lattice I've seen, even if it is practical.

5) Spackle Spackle Spackle. There are spots everywhere, but most noticeable is the basement stairwell/hallway.

6) paint basement stairwell with a cheerier color. the risers are blah. Also the walls. ah hell, paint the whole house.

7) get quote on bathroom paint job and find a way to make it happen NOW NOW NOW

8) pick out new shower curtain/bathmat/accessories once bathroom is painted. Remembering that Lucy just destroyed my bathmat, I'm surprised I didn't put this higher up on the list.

9) pick out, buy, hang some curtains for the bedroom. I think after 4 years we need more than just the blinds.

10) convince Matt of new arrangement idea for home office. Do it. Also, hang some freakin' shelves already. 4 years! It's been 4 years!

11) Caulk all the molding joints along stairwell. It's making me crazy to look at it.

12) try not to think about the kitchen floor. It's not a major issue. It can wait another year or two.

How wet IS it?

2009-06-12T08:41:00.002-04:00

It's SO wet....

I found mushrooms growing in my tomato planter yesterday. I don't know if they are edible. I don't plan on trying them.

The irrigation system has been off. a LOT.

My starter petunias have EXPLODED into riotous color and size.

We had a lovely salad of home-grown lettuce last night. Second harvest in 2 weeks.

The leaves on my peppermint plant are 2 inches long. My sage plant is over a foot tall.

My strawberry plants are only growing leaves, not berries.

The chives I harvested a week ago and gave to a neighbor have returned with a vengeance. In a WEEK.

I stare mournfully out the window at my lovely lounge chair, sitting empty, while Bill paces and whines.

Tomorrow calls for "cloudy". I hope so. There are 3 festivals, a home tour and a fishing rodeo tomorrow. Plus I would really like to just BE outside without epoxy.

In which my dream becomes reality...

2009-06-08T18:15:00.005-04:00

Before.... we liked the exposed brick and the cute little ledge seemed nice... but proved to be wholly impractical, what with the outlets being on the wall instead of on the ledge.

A couple of years ago, we talked to our architect about what I wanted to do and he said "you should.... the wall is empty." He was right, save a few cigarette packs, coffee cups and a whiskey bottle.

We were glad to find no surprises behind the wall.

He built the cabinets in his shop and worked them into place. Here's the base cabinet.

But when we originally mounted the tv, we mounted it off-center on purpose, because I saw shelves up the wall... in my head. Here they are!

The contractors went to lunch and to buy more trim, so Jack and Lucy took the chance to inspect. Bill was looking too, but was more interested in all the tools on the floor.

Several hours later... we're done. ALMOST. He broke the glass for the glass doors so has to come back on Thursday to put that in. I think it needs some caulk and a bit more paint, but nothing I couldn't handle.

The tv looks quite crooked in this shot. It somehow migrated a few inches, I think due to the vibrations. I found a way to fix that though. Also, will create a small wooden chase for the wires that now have SOMEWHERE to go!

Matt left work right at 5 to get home to see it. We are both ecstatic.

I'll put more photos up soon once we've "moved in".

The neverending window frame project

2009-06-07T15:45:00.003-04:00

I don't know if it's the fumes from the Bondo or what feels like endless futility, but I'm so burned out on this window frame project. It started with me picking at it one day... the paint looked a little flaky. Then I realized the wood itself was rotten. But, no problem... my neighbor assured me it was merely trim. Of course it wasn't.

As I chipped away, it became clear that the rotting board actually extended under the window and was in fact holding it in place. Oh GOODY! Let me just tell you how excited I was to find THAT out. And as I chipped I just had this nagging thought that maybe it was termite damage, not dry rot. I don't know how many times I put down my chisel and said "Matt, maybe we should call someone..." but I googled termites enough to realize that it wasn't in fact termites, and that it did look exactly like the images of dry rot, including the little fungal blooms. Of course it didn't help any that there were these little gray bugs running around, but those are actually springtails... which are attracted to moist environments. rot.

So I asked and asked, googled and googled, and eventually I decided to just go with what people were telling me. I chipped all the rotted wood away, applied dozens of coats of Minwax wood hardener, and then started with the Bondo.

Bondo is a 2 step epoxy putty... seems easy in theory, but it dries in about 3 and a half minutes so as soon as you get it mixed you better be ready to go. Did I mention this was my front window? And on the 3 sunny days we've had this spring, the kids from the street have all been playing outside making me crazy while I try to reconstruct bullnose trim with something of the consistency of cake frosting? Oh yeah. FUN. And then it's dry. Time to watch it till it gets to the point where you can sand. You only get about 2 minutes to sand before it's rock solid. After that sanding is NOT possible. It says that everywhere. I'd have to file it off.

I got the rotten board together enough to cover it with a nice fresh piece of trim, but I'm still working on the bullnose trim. And we still have to caulk the hell out of it. And paint it. And the thunderstorms come back on Tuesday.

In the end, it probably is easier than replacing the whole board. And it's way cheaper, I know, but jesus I'm sorry I took this on... sometimes being a homeowner (and the mechanical one at that) just bites. I should be out on my lounge chair right now with some lemonade.

Waves

2009-06-05T09:41:00.004-04:00

It's a gray and rainy day, a bit cold, day 978* of the flood. My back and my work laptop have both seized up this morning. I'm thinking today about not only the stages of grief but the process of death.

My grandmother died in October, after an almost two year battle with ovarian cancer. Since the week-long funeral, my family has been processing her estate. By which I mean attempting to go through her entire life's possessions in an orderly and logical manner, distributing among the ranks while attempting to avoid arguments and hurt feelings. I know it wasn't easy.

The rest of her belongings will be in an estate sale, taking place today and tomorrow. Though my box of things I picked out is still at my mother's house, I know I probably missed something. I know that in 20 years I'm going to think back to the little plaque that says "smile -- it makes people wonder what you're up to" and wish I'd grabbed it from the shelf by the back door.. or the wooden bowl with the swan neck and head, or a bag of seashells. I never picked out any seashells.... grief anew. I suppose I thought I'd have another chance. I think we are programmed to think there will always be more time. It's what makes life work.

There is no more precious resource than time. That's perhaps why I'm still angry that my boss thinks I took too many days of "unscheduled" time off last October. As if I could have scheduled my grandmother's death, my grief and sadness, or the illness that resulted from the stress, the four flights, and the hundreds of hands shook, hugs and cheek kisses received. As if I could plan that nine months later, I'm still mourning, still sad, still tearful. My grief is still quite close to the surface.

I wish I could be there for the estate sale this weekend to see each of her thousands of swans head off to a new home.... But at the same time I'm sure that it would be very hard to take, just as cleaning out the closets of her house was at Christmas, surrounded by family, each of us reviewing what the others had found. Yes, there was laughing, giggling, happy memories, but also a lot of thinking, tears, and surprise.

On Monday, my cabinet maker will be ripping out my partial wall and installing the built-in wall unit that I have been longing for since we first looked at the house. At the end of the project, I will hand him a check that amounts to almost all of the inheritance money. I am trading Granni's money for something that makes me smile, which is what she always wrote in my birthday cards when she enclosed a check, scotch-taped in so carefully. This is her final check to me, and my birthday is Wednesday, appropriately enough. I'm sure she would have been glad to know I'll be smiling over this gift for many years to come, even as I wipe away the tears now.

*Poetic license used liberally at this blog.

My Secret Weapon

2009-05-25T22:20:00.006-04:00

We go to a lot of potlucks and parties in our neighborhood, and I have quickly developed a "go-to" dish. Everyone asks for it, gets excited when I make it and knows to expect it from me.... but the thing is, I feel like I'm cheating! It's not a recipe... it's from a BOX! A BIG box... Costco sells 6 bags in this box for about $9. I always have a box in the house so I can pull them together quickly for parties, deaths, meetings... it's easy to stir, bake and take.... True story, I once traded leftover brownies for beer at our local bar. A wonderful evening that was!

Everyone always asks me what my secret is, how MY brownies are always so much better than others they've had... and honestly they are truly swoon-worthy. The truth is... I have no idea. I tell them all I can think of, that I follow the directions on the back of the box EXACTLY. To the letter. I think most people improvise, change things a bit. I mix the wet ingredients thoroughly before adding the dry. I bake for the exact amount of time called for on the box, and add extra time if using a glass pan, as it says. I don't add anything that isn't called for by the directions. And they are perfect. Every time. Crisp on the outside edge, ooey gooey in the center.

So there, I just shared my secret with you... maybe next time somebody else can bring the brownies and I can go back to actually cooking! I bet I'm going to be sorry about halfway through the summer when people expect blackberry cobbler and peach ice cream....

the best of intentions

2009-05-22T07:44:00.003-04:00

Last night we went out to celebrate with a couple of neighbors graduating from nursing school. I asked both of them about the splinter in my finger and they both expressed appropriate levels of concern. Yep, they're ready for the real world! After several hours of wine, cake and a turkey burger, in that order... I mentioned to my buddy Grant that we had an open bottle of his very favorite wine at our house. He said "the only problem with that is we're not there...." so we paid our checks and lit the tikis for an evening on the patio. I'm thinking this was around 9:30?

A little while later it occurred to me that while I had to get up at 5 am for work today, nobody else did, so I said goodnight and left our guests chatting and drinking on the patio. Oh it was so hard to drag myself away, but it was even harder to get up and get ready for work this morning while Matt snoozed. A 4 day weekend is ahead though, so I managed to pull myself together.

While the cats were demanding breakfast, I turned off our alarm, snuck outside before Bill could notice, and snipped a few adolescent lettuce leaves from my planter. I popped the k-cup in the keurig, assembled a turkey sandwich with said lettuce, lovingly wrapped it in foil and tossed it into a Petco bag with a cup of Fage- my very favorite Greek yogurt, a frozen chunk of Trader Joe's steel cut oatmeal, a banana, an orange and a butter toffee k-cup. Breakfast and lunch to go, coffe in hand, and out the door to BWI.

I was a few minutes behind schedule and had to run to make the train, but I did make it! I even found a seat. I slipped my lunch bag into the overhead rack, next to someone else's, and when I got off the train, that's exactly where I left it.

sigh.

So much for saving money.

I hope the MARC conductor eats it. It was going to be a good sandwich.

These long weekends are going to kill me

2009-05-19T11:47:00.003-04:00

That's what I said to my chiropractor yesterday when he asked if I'd been working in my garden. I'm not sure if it was my tight back or the dirt that was surely all over my jeans after a long afternoon of kneeling, sitting, and laying on the patio to get the drippers installed for my bounty of greenery. I assured him that yes, I had indeed.

We spent a few hours on Sunday taking down our horizontally mounted boards that hold up our planters, reinforcing them with an additional 2x4, and putting them back up. It doesn't sound particularly difficult, and it wasn't, but it was frustrating as mounting those planters is possibly the least favorite thing relating to the house. It's amazing how difficult it can be. We also put down the cinderblocks and 2x4s to hold the rest of the pots up off the ground, and found places for the rest of our plants, mapping out how to finish the drip system. And that's what I did yesterday.

After yet another trip to Lowe's, where I cleaned them out of 1/2 gph drippers and bought what I THOUGHT was enough in-line drippers (it wasn't. I need about 10 more.), as well as some pavers to place along the fence line to close the tiny gap and keep out our alley-bunnies, I was ready to get to work. A punch here and a coupler there... running the line and popping on those drippers... my hands are all calloused now. Almost like I've been doing manual labor. I probably should have worn gloves, or at least a thimble to pop those things on to the tubing. It was painful towards the end.

Oh, but I'm not completely done. We still have some more seedlings to plant, and once those are in, I'll run the final drippers. But the great thing about this project is that we've been using it the whole time... I just keep ADDING to it. That's why it's so perfect for us... I can indulge my addiction to plants with minimal additional work. Just pop in a coupler and we have water.

As I erased the drip system from my to do list, I looked at the next item on the list. Replace front window trim. I orginally thought this was going to be a tedious job, but my neighbor pointed out that all the problems are on trim that is quickly replaceable. Wahoo! I also feel less guilty after walking by another PPCDC house from the same time that also had rotting window trim. Clearly the paint they used wasn't the correct formula. NOT my fault. Just have to use the right stuff this time. So guess what I'm doing over Memorial Day weekend? Aside from attending a wedding, I will be painting, nailing, and if I can't get the guys at HD to do it, sawing.

I predict a sore back when I'm done.

blech. adulthood. blech.

2009-05-13T10:26:00.004-04:00

Last year on my birthday I went to the Red Door Spa for a facial, makeup and a mani-pedi, and then to The Bicycle for dinner with my husband. We both had the steak.

This year on my birthday I will be in a four hour meeting with a consultant on creating Executive Dashboards.

Blech.

repeat.

Blech.

I guess that's what I get for having a birthday on a Wednesday. Nevertheless, my office does give you a holiday for your birthday... but I can't take it on the actual day because the consultant's time is worth more than mine. So maybe I'll try and schedule something fun for a 4 day weekend in June. Something has to make 32 worth it.

Weekend Wrapup, or How I Almost Killed my Father

2009-05-11T21:18:00.010-04:00

My dad was back in town this weekend for a little over 24 hours, and boy did we keep him busy! I think he was relieved when we finally dropped him off in DC last night for his meeting.

Here's the sink we put in last time he was here, a couple of weeks ago. I'm still loving it!

When he arrived, he knew he had 2 projects, but we talked him into installing this ceiling fan in the office too... He's a trooper. Agreed to it without hesitation... but then teased me mercilessly for "scope creep". I was glad we were able to install it as a flush mount fan because the ceiling is not particularly high in the back bedroom. It makes such a difference in the temperature of that room already! It may save us a few dollars this summer. Dad's shoulder might still be aching though, but not just because of the overhead wiring project... he also had another overhead project.

About two months ago, I was flipping through a catalog when I spotted what I knew was an excellent idea for our house. A ceiling mounted drying rack. But it was $75! And I knew the parts
wouldn't cost remotely that much. It was merely dowels, rope, pulleys, and the frame, which I was sure my dad could make out of wood. Well, he did even better.

I forget sometimes that my parents have a manufacturing plant... Dad sketched out a design and programmed it into the plasma cutter, and the frame of my drying racks are made out of stainless steel. THICK stainless. He made TWO of them for me. It started out as a way to save money, but these two drying racks are a million times better than the catalog version, and honestly, if they were for sale, they would cost a lot more. Also, mine came with installation! Dad spent quite a bit of time engineering the pulley system for these to move around the pipes and cables in our basement. The one with clothes on it is lowered in the picture, but it raises up to the ceiling, up and out of our way. I LOVE them!

Oh, but we weren't done yet... the other project, which I'm still finishing up, was my dad's idea entirely. Last summer he was sitting on our patio with a beer and I was complaining about how we have to water our plants every day, sometimes twice a day in the heat of the summer. And I'm really into my patio plantings, so it was a bit of a hardship. Not only do I forget that dad has a manufacturing plant, I forget that he has quite a lot of experience with piping and plumbing. He said "well, we just need to put in some drip irrigation." I laughed. Yeah, sure, drip irrigation on a patio?! SURE. Well, he's right. That's all we needed to do. And amazingly enough, it wasn't that complicated.

We ran 1/2 inch tubing down the fence on one side, and then teed it to run down the other side of the patio. I'm now working to attach the 1/4 inch tubing and drippers for each plant. The planter pictured has an in-line dripping system so it only has to plug into the main line in one place. The system is on a timer and is completely automated, though I can do a manual override if it's too dry, or turn it off if the rain persists.

There are a lot of options in drippers, and the ones my dad brought with him from his supply must have been for bushes or trees because when I first turned them on, they shot across the patio! I went back to Lowes for 1/2 gallon per hour drippers which are much more "drippy". And for my hanging basket, I got this stake that sprays water in a circle. Very cool.

We have tan tubing going up the tan wall of the house, and I'll use it for the tan cinder block wall. The tubing on the fence is black, which seems to fit, even though the fence is wood. I'm ecstatic about this system and have already been talking it up amongst the neighbors. I imagine drip systems will be hitting patios all over Patterson Park. Not only is it labor-saving, it's water-saving too! And just really cool.

I ended the weekend today, by winning in the "Salad" category of the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association Annual Potluck. There's Jack checking out my prize. The winning recipe, a Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, is here.

Oh, and I also won concert tickets off the radio on the way to pick up my dad at the airport. Matt and I get to see the B-52s on Wednesday, courtesy of WTMD and my lucky dialing. Good weekend, all around.

The Big Chill

2009-05-08T08:50:00.007-04:00

I read a lot on cooking, and Mark Bittman is one of my favorites, but this article on How to use the Freezer really excited me because the freezer is still just one of my acquaintances. I'm trying to get to know it better. Part of that is overcoming my first interactions with freezers....

Ah, the freezer of my childhood... we had 2 actually. The Deep Freeze, that stand-alone giant avocado green behemoth in the hall, around the corner from the kitchen, and the small freezer on top, and later, on the side of the fridge. My mom's freezer was (and still is) where food went to die. And also for storing ice cream. The deep freeze actually had a whole fish in it for about 10 years. My brother caught it in our friend's pool. I'm sure the reason it was there was more related to Aaron catching it than mom planning to cook it someday, but there it was. Head and all. Wrapped in a bag. On the shelf next to the popsicles. I thank whatever power outage it was that made mom finally clean out that place of death. It took a week without power, years later, to get the alligator tail out of the side-by-side. I won't get into why it was in there.

Now when I visit and hunt for Blue Bell, I have to move past the bags and bags and bags of frozen vegetable "medley", the freezer burned meat, and my niece's one-time penchant for waffles, but at least nothing is staring at me.

Using the freezer properly is learned behavior. You have to make an effort at it. And in honor of Mother's Day, I am going to go ahead and say "Mom, you'll never get it, so I'll give you a pass on it... your freezer can remain that wasteland of death and despair. And that's OK!" (I don't live there, it's easy to say it....) Oh, people have tried to help her with it, by bringing their own organizational systems in, but it doesn't help. Stop trying.

For the rest of us though, there's still hope. You can learn to use your freezer. I can't wait to try some of the tips in the above article. Currently I keep blueberries, stale bread, nuts and herbs in mine, along with selections from Trader Joe's awesome frozen section, but I want to make batches of rice/quinoa/oatmeal/biscuit dough to freeze and use as needed. I do sometimes freeze soup, but I have a love/hate thing with soup and frozen soup is not something that inspires me. Frozen berries, however, make me happy. I also have a bunch of black skinned bananas in the freezer. Matt is disturbed by them, but they're great for baking.

How do you use your freezer?

Love you Mom! Put some Blue Bell in the freezer for our July visit, please.

A kitchen floor wish list

2009-05-06T10:46:00.004-04:00

We need a new kitchen floor. I've said that a few times. But the thing that is really standing in the way is figuring out what to get. I seem to want the impossible... a floor that doesn't exist. Or maybe I just don't know what is possible. I know what I don't want. Here is my absolutely no way list:

1) ceramic tile - absolutely not. Bad for the back, bad for the knees, bad when you drop things. COLD.
2) stone - see above
3) hardwood floors - would have to match the rest of the house, bad for wet areas, hard to keep clean in the kitchen
4) vinyl - what we have now. And there's a big crack in it. Also it doesn't really ever feel clean/shiny. And parts of it have been discolored from cat puke and wet shoes.

I thought I wanted cork flooring, but have been told it's not really "cat proof".

I'm at a loss....

What I do want:

1) Something bouncy. It needs to feel good to stand on for hours at a time (I like to cook and bake) and if I drop something on it, the item shouldn't shatter. If it does shatter, it shouldn't hurt the floor.

2) Easy to clean/keep clean. No crevices or grooves. Should mop clean and dry quickly.

3) Has to stand up to water/weather. The back door enters in the kitchen and our shoes are often wet after coming back in. I should be able to leave wet shoes by the door without problems. Also, if I splash water on it, I shouldn't have to wipe it up immediately.

4) Can handle cat claws and potentially dog claws.

5) Can handle cat puke and wet cat food. Because life happens.

6) Should be flexible because the house seems to be. Should be able to move with the house and not crack.

7) Should be pretty and affordable.

8) Would be nice if it were "green", and does not destroy the world.

Kind of a steep order, I know, but making an "ideal" list always helps me. Now, I just need to know where to look. Flooring places you recommend? Do you know the perfect floor for us? Tell me!

It's all about the quality

2009-05-05T10:54:00.002-04:00

I don't like the book I'm reading now, so I'm going to stop in the middle and return it. I can do that because I never bought it... it's a library book. I feel absolutely no guilt for not finishing the book. I have two more waiting for me anyway!

This big, bad recession has really been good, in a way.... sure, I wish we weren't squeezing pennies together, but I like some of what it's taught me. Since we started to feel the pinch, we've changed our behaviors somewhat. Things I'm doing now that I wouldn't really have done before....

1) library books. Baltimore has one of the best free public libraries in the country. I live pretty close to 3 branches of it, including the gigantic Southeast Anchor Branch, but I've been using the online catalog and have things sent to the Patterson Park branch because a) it's the closest, b) parking is free and c) it doesn't get a lot of use and I want it to stay open

2) kitchen experimenting. Last week I made a breakfast casserole for a board meeting and a salad for an evening potluck. Both dishes left some stray ingredients in my fridge... baby spinach, mushrooms, cilantro.... that probably would have gone bad. But no. Not now. I used the baby spinach in our salads the other night. Yesterday's lunch was a faux pho with the cilantro and mushrooms, mixing in some things from the pantry. It was yummy.

We also eat a lot more pantry items these days. Last night we had roasted chicken. Ideal accompaniment for Matt? Mashed potatoes. Instead we had polenta, and he was fine with it. It also went well with the asparagus and spring onion sautee. Quinoa gets a lot more play in my repertoire now too because it's very cheap. I'm also trying out lentils and fava beans. and greens. We're eating more greens, including the tops of the beets I bought to roast the other day. Honestly, I liked the greens better than the roasted beets.... though they were both quite good. We're going meatless more often, at least a couple of dinners a week. It's better for us, better for the earth, and better for the budget. It's "flexitarianism".

3) Gardening on a budget. It's no secret I love my garden, but this year we purchased very few pre-grown plants, and most of those were bought cheaply at the farmers' market. The vast majority of my patio paradise is growing from seed, in my windowsill, and most of these items are edible. Growing my own herbs keeps me from buying the wilty pre-packaged supermarket variety. And they smell amazing!

We're also going to be putting a budget on our watering. My dad arrives on Saturday and will help us install a drip irrigation system to water our container garden on a schedule, with minimal effort from us. He's purchased the system already (talk about budget boosting!) but it will also really cut down on the amount of water we use for the plants as we won't be watering concrete anymore.

4) The end of shopping for fun. Oh, those days of hitting the mall with friends... of looking at everything just to see it. Those trips always left me with a big giant bill at the end. Know what? I don't do that anymore. At least 99% of the time. And the last time I did hit the mall with friends, I bought a sweater (on sale, with a coupon) and a grill accessory. Nothing else. I'm 100% ok with it. Now to just get my friends to stop meeting at the mall....

There are a lot more... but that's a start.

Tonight's dinner, as inspired by the Farmers' Market

2009-05-03T18:03:00.006-04:00

The JFX Farmers' Market opened this morning, complete with kettle drums and LOTS of rain. It is still early yet for most veggies, but I picked up some spring onions, asparagus, beets, goat cheese, milk, pork chops and a giant frozen chicken (winter chickens are apparently large...) along with some pretty plants for the patio. I toyed with some ideas all day. Using today's haul along with some things I already had in the fridge/pantry, tonight we will have:

spinach salad with roasted beetroot, Firefly farms goat cheese and toasted pinenuts

Truckpatch farms porkchops with caramelized spring onions

wilted beet greens

Harvest Grains blend

Hopefully the giant chicken will have defrosted in time for me to cook it tomorrow. I imagine it will take a while so will thus need to be done on my day off!

on my birthday list...

2009-04-30T09:28:00.003-04:00

It's almost sumsumsummertime.... so that means my birthday is coming up. Matt has, in an unusual fashion, already arranged for my birthday/anniversary gift for the year, though I have absolutely no idea what it could be.... So I'm throwing this out into the universe for anyone else who might want to shower me with gifts... (yeah, right.... will probably end up buying for myself...)

An In-Home Odorless Composter.

I can't figure out how to embed the video from their website, but it's here: how it works.

With this and recycling, we'd be down to half a bag of trash a week. Typical composters are frowned upon in B-more due to the rat population. This is a beautiful solution.

10 Reasons why YOU should come to the Patterson Park Home Tour!

2009-04-28T14:44:00.004-04:00

This Saturday, May 2nd, is the Patterson Park Home Tour!!! I'm SO excited! You should be too! If you haven't already committed to the tour, here's why you should!

1) Patterson Park is an amazing neighborhood, full of diversity in population and housing stock. See a brand-new modern home, a tiny little rowhome and double-wides! Roof top decks and patios. Singles, marrieds, families, seniors.... we have it all. And we're opening the doors and showing it off!

2) Always wondered how people get big couches in small doors? Or what to do with your kitchen or hall bath? Well, this is your chance to look at new ideas and ask the homeowners how they did it!

3) Cheapest home voyeurism in town! Sure, Highlandtown, Butchers Hill and Fells Point have home tours, but theirs cost a lot more than the $5 we're asking. We will show you 10 homes for FIVE dollars! That's 50 cents a house!

4) There are prizes! Yes, really. We have door prizes. Visit all 10 homes and then bring your ticket to Three for the drawing! One of the prizes is a $50 gift card to Home Depot! Surely that's worth $5 and a couple hours of your time. Plus you can have a beer while you wait to win.

5) You wanted to see the Kinetic Sculpture Race anyway... and one of the best places to do that is Patterson Park... but due to the traffic and the people, you don't want to leave immediately... Come to the Home Tour!

6) I'm making 6 batches of Ghiradelli brownies. I don't do that for just anybody.

7) If you don't show up, Kimi will cry.

8) You've been looking to buy a house in a cool neighborhood! While none of the homes on our tour are for sale, many nearby are. Come meet your potential neighbors! You too could live here!

9) Brian put up crown molding, Helene painted, Erin installed a new floor... make it worth their efforts.

10) Next year, when we do it again, you can say "I was there last year!" But you'll need to come next year too because we will have different homes!

See you Saturday!!!

This cannot end well

2009-04-27T08:51:00.004-04:00

The kids across the street now have baby ducklings. They were begging me to pet them this morning as we were leaving the house. I begged off saying I needed to get to work. I did not want to spend 2 hours commuting with duck on my hands. They tried to tell me the ducks were clean because they got them at the flea market.

My only hope is that they plan to raise them as food. There is no way these particular children can be responsible bird owners. Not to mention the fact that you cannot keep ducks (past the duckling stage) in Baltimore without a permit and proper setup. I know this because I've actually read the rules on farm animals multiple times. I have an interest in urban chickens.

Anyway... Food would be the best outcome, really, but Matt reminded me that the little girl, the same one who once tried to convince me her mom was "GONE FOREVER" and that I would have to step in and raise her (her mom was next door), would not take kindly to eating her pet. True. Very true. The other thing they might attempt is to release them in the park. I don't think that's an especially good idea, but I like it slightly better than thinking they will either die from neglect, or live forever in my neighbor's house/yard.

So duck death watch begins now. Anybody want to wager how much longer these fluffy little babies will be alive?

lemony fresh

2009-04-23T10:25:00.004-04:00

One of the joys of agreeing to both host my father and the neighborhood board meeting this weekend is that it gave me a really good excuse to hire a housekeeper. The lady we used previously has moved back to Mexico, so we're trying a new lady recommended by a neighbor. She arrived around 8 am and has already tackled the top floor and is currently working on the living room. Our house smells fresh and clean already! The cats are a little freaked out, but they get like that when I clean too.

It's remotely sunny, and a little warm outside so I've moved my seedlings out to the patio. Bill is not happy about that. Will be planting my geraniums and petunias tomorrow and that is starting to bring spring into force around here! The sink install is tomorrow. I'm excited. SO excited. A friend helped us get the new vanity to our house yesterday and it's so PRETTY. We opened the box with the marble sink in it and it is just all waiting for dad, who arrives by train this afternoon.

Tonight we're going to dinner at Woodberry Kitchen. It's going to be a great weekend!

Pulling it all together

2009-04-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

Just a bunch of random thoughts today... all swirling around in my head.

I had the day off yesterday, as I do (most) every Monday. That was fortunate because it rained for about 23 hours of the day. And not just a little sprinkle... no, a downpour so heavy I must have looked at the skylight 12 times to assure myself that it was not leaking. I'm a fair-weather person. It's all in the name. So though I did have quite a few plans, things to accomplish, yesterday, I never left the house. I don't regret that.

I wasn't a complete loner. My massage therapist was over for an appointment. I social-networked. But in the remaining time, I sorted through Matt's giant stack o' receipts which remains a bone of contention for me. Must be like me leaving my water glasses everywhere... why keep a receipt that shows you spent $1.85 in the office cafeteria for breakfast? It's not deductible! So anyway... I also managed to wrangle all of our clean laundry into our assorted closets and dressers. It is a small miracle that we have 2 closets in our master bedroom... in a ROWHOUSE. Mine is a rather spacious walk-in, organized to have double-hung rods on each side and storage for approx. 100 pairs of shoes, of which I actually wear about 20. I did put about 20 pairs in the donation box though! His is about 1/4 of the size, with no storage whatsoever. and no light either. I did graciously hang some of his extra thick sweatshirts in my closet so as not to crowd his clothes any further. That closet really needs a re-do.

The rest of the day I looked mournfully at my unplanted geraniums and monitored my seedlings which were desperate for sun in that window they sit in. The cats were listless. I mastered Tetris Battle on facebook. And the Sex and the City dvd was played twice. Apparently if you don't hit stop, it plays again. I left it on. I needed the company.

Back at the office today, now that the sun is out. Sigh.... oh well, this weekend promises to be beautiful again! Dad is in town now and we're meeting for dinner tonight in DC. He'll be in Baltimore from Thursday-Sunday. I can't wait to see how much we can accomplish this trip!

The spring sweep day on Saturday had us cleaning up trash, planting wooly thyme ground cover in tree pits, and teaching the neighborhood kids about weeds. It was great. My hair lightened a little in the sun.... blast... I may actually REALLY be a blonde... now that I've tried to not be. My sunburn is mostly healed now. I am once again reminded of how much I love living in Patterson Park. I have the best neighbors!

I'm in a remarkably good mood for a Tuesday!

Spring

2009-04-16T09:09:00.003-04:00

My tomato, bean, squash, dill, chamomile, parsley, and lettuce seedlings are all sprouting! YAY! I sowed the lettuce outside, in a galvanized container with no drainage but plenty of water absorbing crystals. The seedlings now look like they are covered in a couple of inches of ice due to yesterday's torrential downpour. Those crystals definitely work. Hopefully the precious little sprouts will hang in there. The other seeds are all growing in my kitchen window, surrounded by a wall of foil to keep the nosy cats out of them. One or two of the cats think that paper pots full of soil make for a good snack. I have no idea why. I do feed them. I do.

My strawberries may also be drowning in those "ice" crystals, but appear to be ok for now. Still waiting on the peppermint to come back. And I can't find my basil seeds from last year. Sigh. My house will be lonely without pesto. My petunias and patio tomatoes should ship next week, but this weekend is our neighborhood beautification project... and it will be very hard to keep from picking up a few more flowers for our hanging basket. I must remember that a dozen wave petunias will all but take over our patio though. I must save space for them. One of our friends had her Wave petunia stolen last year. So sad.

The sun is out today, FINALLY, and Bill looked antsy this morning, so I promised him some patio time when it warms up this afternoon. Our new patio umbrella (thanks mom!) works well at blocking the sun from my laptop screen, and our Wifi works on my patio, so my afternoon of telecommuting can be done outside. Must remember to get more zyrtec though. Ah, spring does have a few drawbacks. ah-choo.

Been a little busy lately, but all is well with me. Still working on the house like a mad woman, but my wish list exceeds our budget by, well, a lot. So I'm going to have to work on projects like spackling and painting for a while to tide me over on the other things, like organizing the closets (by which I mean installing more than the single shelf they contain) and staining the back patio in a mosaic pattern, and oh, Corey's post inspired me to want to arrange our patio into a more cohesive design including the set of Adirondack chairs (with foot rests!) that Matt and I have decided we would like to have back there. Also on the "someday" list are the flat screen and sofa for the basement, some new office furniture, and, well, probably more things that I'm trying to keep off my list right now. But in a couple of months I will have my built-in shelving in the living room, and that will be such an improvement, such a coup, that I will try to let myself be happy with that and not dream of everything else that I don't have checked off the list yet. In the meantime, I'm still looking for a transitional chandelier for our dining area that can be swagged to where the table ACTUALLY is and not be so "colonial/builder grade", even if I did stick shades and tassels on it. I'm over it. So over it.

Ah, so the wishing never stops, does it?

excitement is in the air!

2009-04-05T22:04:00.002-04:00

I am getting a new sink! Or rather, I HAVE a new sink, and I'm getting it installed! My dad said "we should be able to do that" when I mentioned the install project in reference to his upcoming visit. YAY!!! So Matt and I went out to look at faucets today and in the process we found a vanity top I liked more than the granite I posted earlier. It's Carerra marble, which matches the threshold of the bathroom and will keep the (soon to be) dark purple walls from being TOO dark.

oh, and we did pick out a faucet too.

Spring cleaning continues. Or I should say organizing. The cleaning lady is scheduled for the day my dad gets here, which is still about 2 and a half weeks away.

A new list

2009-03-31T15:25:00.002-04:00

If it seems like I'm perhaps overly focused on my domicile, I assure you it's because I spend more time there these days... big bad RECESSION is keeping me in town on the weekends. Not so bad, really, but suddenly I'm noticing things that need to be fixed.

Now I have to get started on more structural projects.

1) kitchen floor - at least to find out WHY it's cracking. Corey said "inadequate subfloor" and I'm 99% sure he's right. The cracks on the peel and stick tile are all in a row... i.e. they line up.

2) front windowsill - I noticed this when I was scrubbing my marble steps a few weeks ago. The paint is peeling and it looks like the wood is cracked a bit on the edges of the windowsill. Looks like some of the wood is rotting. I googled. I have to wait for it to warm up to work with some epoxy wood filler and then paint.

3) back door frame - also noticed a bit of cracking on the frame around the back door, where it meets with the bricks. Probably water damage from my neighbor's lack of a gutter.

4) need to repaint the threshold - Matt did this a couple of years ago, but it gets a lot of wear... needs to be repainted. OR if I could find a marble one in a restore yard... that would be better!

5) Front window -- cracking drywall. Perhaps it's the weight of the window, or the times we shoved couches through it, but the drywall has a hairline crack all the way around my window frame. Apparently drywall mud is the answer.

6) repaint doors - our front door is looking a little worn. Time for a fresh coat of paint. The back door wasn't painted right in the first place... we had to pull it open when some of the paint stuck. Should probably fix that before the 4th anniversary of moving in!

Hmm.... sure there is probably more. Will keep adding on.

My basement is now part of the grand tour...

2009-03-30T20:27:00.003-04:00

If you come over and ask for a tour of my house, be prepared to be shown the laundry room. Possibly first. I'm very proud. It's amazing what moving some shelves around and adding a nice blue rug (Ikea!) and a folding table (Costco) can do. It's like a new room! Once the 4 giant trash bags are removed, I'll take a photo for you.

Moving the shelves opened up some wall space that's just screaming for pegboard. Dad?

I've been working on my laundry room for 12 hours, including the shopping. As soon as my frozen pizza is ready, I'm going to have a quick dinner, make myself a nice strong beverage, and draw a hot bubble bath. I'm glad I'm back in the office tomorrow. I'm exhausted!

house house house

2009-03-29T23:10:00.003-04:00

Is it spring cleaning fever? Or is it that I am finally (mostly) free of back pain?!? I don't know... but something's got into me! I'm working like a mad woman! This weekend I replaced the exhaust fan in Matt's bathroom... last weekend I asked him to clean it and suddenly that little rumble it was making was an all-out growl. I found an "upgrade kit" at Home Depot for just under $30, which was a new fan/motor, new grille and new mounting plate, but it used the old housing. In 10 minutes I had the new fan in place. I think it took me longer to figure out which switch to flip off in the breaker box. I'm happy to report that it is no longer growling, and is in fact a little bit quieter than the original fan was new. It also promises to move more air, so hopefully the humidity/mildew problem we have in that basement bathroom will be improved. I also put in a new DampRid. It helps too. It was so easy I think I'll replace the fan in my bathroom too. It works fine, but it's loud and not all that effecient. Oh, and I also added a note to the label in the breaker box!

With the mechanical issue of the week solved, it was time to get a little more into the tools. I put up my new curtains in the living room and Matt and I are very pleased! The cats are a little unsure... they don't know how to get into the window just yet. I am so happy to toss out the old shade. Now I think the kitchen window needs a valance. It looks plain.

I spent some time digging around in the basement and have decided on a new way to arrange the shelves. Will work on that tomorrow. The cats will be even more confused as it involves moving their litter box.

There are still a few things left on my list... but while I was walking around Home Depot, I found my new bathroom vanity. And Matt pointed out that it conveniently takes up the rest of the inheritance money, so it's not something we really have to save for. Of course, I don't know what the install would be like, but we'll tackle it next month probably.

It only takes up about 3 more inches than my current pedestal sink, but I think it will fit the space better and it definitely gives me some flat surface on which to rest my makeup while I'm applying.... it's not curved! I am less likely to crack this! I'm very excited.

Oh, and I should probably get the bathroom painted first, or during, or something?

Acquired habits...

2009-03-27T14:04:00.002-04:00

Working on the list

2009-03-23T11:31:00.003-04:00

In January I posted my "House List" and I'm actually making some progress on it. The last post took care of part of #8, the garden. This weekend I ordered curtains for the front window (#6) and last week I had a cabinet maker out to give me an estimate on our proposed built-ins (#4).

The built-ins will be expensive, but due to an unexpected inheritance from my Granni, we are going to try to make it happen this year. Inheritances are an emotional thing... how can I use it to make sure it goes to something positive and not to just bills, so that her last act of kindness towards me is remembered and would be something that she would have liked? This project seems to fit. I think it would make her proud, and it is something I've wanted since the day we moved in.

Here's the sketch I got from the cabinet maker:The area to the right of the shelves is where our tv is, which will be centered in that open space. The drawers are for DVDS, the glass front cabinets are for the electronic components, and the other 2 sets of cabinets are wood front for storing dishes, linens, household things. The shelves will be open back to show the exposed brick.

I have two more people coming out to give me estimates, just to be sure I'm making the best decision, but I hope to have this in place by June.

What do you think?

My Burpee order

2009-03-20T11:18:00.010-04:00

I'll probably have too many seeds...

Product	Qty	Price Each
Strawberry - Surecrop - 25 Plants	1	$14.95

Lettuce Looseleaf Heatwave - Packet (500 seeds)	1	$3.75

Patio Princess Tomato - 1 order (3 plants)	1	$11.95

TomatoTumbler Hybrid (Cherry) - 1 Pkt. (10 Seeds)	1	$3.75

Summer Squash Peter Pan Hybrid - 1 Pkt. (25 seeds)	1	$3.75

Dill, Fernleaf - 1 pkt. (250 seeds)	1	$2.95

Coriander or Cilantro - 1 Pkt. (150 seeds)	1	$2.95

Parsley, Plain (Single Italian) - 1 Pkt. (750 seeds)	1	$2.95

Petunia Wave Hybrid, Purple - 12 Plants	1	$21.95

Zinnia Burpee Hybrids Mix - Packet (50 seeds)	1	$3.75

Grow-Through Hoop Plant Supports - 3 pack	1	$17.95

Asclepias Butterfly Weed - 1 plant	1	$8.50

Burpee Seed-Starting Formula - 1 Bag (6 Quart)	2	$8.50

Seed Sower	1	$1.95

Soil Moist - 8 oz. jar	2	$7.25

Tomato & Vegetable Blossom Set Spray 8 oz.	1	$7.95

Pepper Red Popper - Packet (40 seeds)	1	$4.50

Bean Greencrop - (1 packet)	1	$2.95

Chamomile, German - 1 Pkt. (500 seeds)	1	$2.95

Free Espoma Plant Food	1	Free Gift
Free Plant-Tone plant food with a $25 order

Hey... I got a free gift!!! Yay! A better deal than Home Depot. WAY better.

Anybody want some of my 750 Italian Parsley seeds????

just WHERE am I going to put 25 strawberry plants?

I think I've lost my mind because there is sun coming through my cube window.

Looking Forward

2009-03-20T08:36:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of Spring. At least that's what I heard on the radio this morning when the DJ reminded me that it is Free Rita's Day! It was hard to think of spring as I walked to work from the metro with a cold wind beating at my face, pulling tears from my eyes. I've had just about ENOUGH of this, Winter? Do you hear me? STOP NOW!

It should be a bit warmer this weekend, but I'm looking for WARM. I'm looking for 70s and sunny, with evening lows in the 60s only. I know it will get here, and before we know it will be 98 and I'll be complaining about the heat, but right now, staring into the future of spring, I'm looking forward to a lot. Here are things that I can't wait to enjoy!

1. The JFX Farmer's Market. -- Oh, how I long for fresh veggies, farm-fresh skim milk, pulling the innards out of a chicken that was only minimally-processed... I want to smell the curry and the mushroom omelettes, wonder how so many people can line up for a pit beef sandwich at 8:30 am, and watch Keiffer Mitchell make orange juice. I long to stand in line for asparagus and peas and decide at the last minute that I must buy the sugar baby watermelon that will be a pain to carry to the car with everything else. The market opens on May 3rd.

2. Patterson Park's Spring Home Tour -- My house isn't on the tour, but I'm volunteering on this project and will be baking some goodies for the guests! For just $5 you get to be a voyeur... see how the neighbors live! It always amazes me how houses that look so much alike on the outside can look so different inside. The tour is on the same day as the Kinetic Sculpture Race, which also goes through the park, so you can do both on May 2nd. We'll end it with a late afternoon at Three...

3. Cinema Al Fresco in Little Italy! We only got to go once last year... or was it twice? I can't remember. I do remember we had a fantastic time! We plopped our folding chairs down in the street, grabbed a fabulous pizza from a nearby restaurant, pulled a bottle of wine out of a backpack, and had a great date night... even watched one of our neighbor ladies dance with her boyfriend to the music before the film. Gelato from Vacarro's (before the line tripled in length) made it even sweeter. It started in July last year. I'll keep my eyes open for news of this year's start date. The Friends of Patterson Park showed a few movies in the park last year too. The Goonies was really fun.

4. Patio Parties! This was the stuff of legend last year... our patio hosted so many friends that it is just plain LONELY now. Whether it was an event planned a month in advance or something decided on by others ("hey.... can we drink wine on your patio tonight???") our little neighborly gatherings kept us smiling (and kept the recycling guys guessing...) all summer! I can't wait for the first warm night to light the tikis and open the gate!

5. My garden. Oh yes, I can't host parties until my flowers are planted... on the list for this year are more veggies and herbs. Last year we grew strawberries, tomatoes, chives, basil, thyme, peppermint, tarragon, rosemary, majoram, dill and sage, but I want more more more this year! Fewer flowers, more edible things. Victory gardens are in, afterall. I'll see what comes back from last year too. Already have leaves on the strawberries.

6. Picking berries - Last year the neighbors came up with a great idea and we all ventured out to Larriland Farm to pick blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes and peaches... It was a full day, but we can't wait to go back! The baking that came out of that day... it was awesome. I still have a few of the blueberries in my freezer. YUM. I can't WAIT to go back!

There are a few things from last year we won't get to do this year.... the pool comes to mind. We stopped paying Merritt a couple of months ago, for poverty's sake, so drinking beer at the gym's pool is off the list this summer. Sorry neighbors! We probably also won't be fighting with the kids outside quite as much because we finally had a breakthrough last summer and they actually like us now... helped by the fact that I gave them our leftover Halloween candy, I'm sure. Will they remember that far back? Maybe I should get some popsicles for when it gets hot?

Ah... Spring. Hurry it up!

Fighting the Good Fights

2009-03-12T10:43:00.006-04:00

I don't know if it's the back and forth of seasons lately, the general economic collapse, total fear in the hearts of everyone, or maybe everyone has low blood sugar.... but it seems like the world has been rather hostile lately. I've always been a bit subversive. It's my nature. I can't help it. If there's a flaw in logic, I'll point it out. If there's a flaw in your attitude, I'll call you on it. I've been dealing with a LOT of that lately, and it has me roiling. I don't care what your excuse is, you have no right to treat people that way.

Anyway, since I can't say exactly what I want to say to the person that needs to hear it, I'll tell you what I've been saying to everyone else...

Fights that I've been fighting lately:

1) Fighting for my 'hood. The PPCDC has collapsed. Filed Chapter 11. It's not pretty... and neither are those houses behind me that aren't finished. While I've always been active in the neighborhood association, my activity level has picked up significantly and I'm now involved with planning a House Tour for our neighborhood marketing efforts as well as monitoring the liquor board hearings, zoning hearings and other detailed things. I don't hold an elected position on the board. Matt does. I think one per household is more than enough.

2) Fighting a gang? Well, kind of. It came to our attention recently that members of a certain gang that I won't name here had moved into a house up the street. But the legality of such occupation was questionable... i.e. nobody had a clue if they were actually squatting or legally living there. The cops were called on them numerous times and messages about the subject went flying every few minutes for days. Texts, im's, facebook posts, emails, phone calls, etc. I still don't think it's been fully sorted but I do feel a bit drained by it. Honestly though, I'll do whatever it takes to keep squatters, especially those in a dangerous gang, out of my neighborhood. It's not over.

3) Fighting reputation... The gang thing came to our attention because of an arrest on a murder that was reported as having occurred near my neighborhood. It wasn't, actually... but we're working on that too.

And I have been given a moment in the Sun...

There have been a few other things I won't list here becaue they've gone on behind the scenes, but I'm on a roll. or a tear. Or a terror.

I think my fierceness is hidden mostly. People don't expect it. They can't see it. Part of it may be my underlying hyperactive nature that just puts me on edge. I've got a deep-seeded "Us vs. Them" thing going on in my brain, a deep distrust and disrespect for authority, a requirement for authenticity. If you want me to believe you know what you're talking about, you better damn well know what you're talking about. I'll see through a shallow person or a shallow effort in a heartbeat. I think that's why I'm probably so pissed off. I have seen through a lot of veneers lately and I'm ready to make something happen.

And just so you don't think I'm about to go blow something up... a story...

I was a "student leader" in college. I was the Head RA for my building, President of my business frat, active in a community service frat, volunteer tour guide, and a few other groups too. I created my own major, did an exchange program, etc... It was a small school, I was a big fish. So I got a lot of opportunities that not just everyone had, and I was supposed to be honored by this. But the Us vs. Them thing came into play when I was issued an "exclusive" invitation to a building dedication ceremony in which Dan Rather would be the keynote speaker. Only the "student leaders" were invited because it was going to be held in the chapel and seating was limited.

Exclusive didn't really make me happy. If this was such a big deal, why weren't more students invited? Why just the "leaders"? Leaders represent others, but they didn't get there on their own. I was livid, and I told them so. I think it surprised the office of events. They didn't understand why I could possibly be upset by such an "honor". But they got my point... if this was such a great thing for the school, why not open it to everyone? They actually MOVED the ceremony to the academic mall. Invited everyone.

Of course, it was set for April in Central Texas. We had perhaps the worst thunderstorm of that year that weekend... Dan Rather's plane was late. The ceremony had to be moved back indoors, but they used closed circuit cameras to broadcast it to the student center and onto the campus television station. Everyone had a chance to watch, even if they couldn't attend. I sat in the audience of leaders, glad that it was not all that exclusive anymore. Rather's speech was boring. But at least I had fought the fight for inclusion. I was happy. I probably shouldn't have won that so easily. It perhaps only encouraged me to be outspoken, confrontational, assertive. But that's me. I come by it naturally.

Someday I'll tell you about my mother and the speakers on the top of her station wagon, or the coup she staged.

It's not that I'm lazy

2009-02-11T14:35:00.002-05:00

it's that I don't have anything to say.

Matt alerted me to the fact that it's been a while since I posted anything. I knew, in the back of my mind, but I just, well... haven't been doing anything particularly interesting. I've been working way too hard, healing my back, coming down with a head cold, playing with my cats, etc... nothing remotely worth blogging about.

It's the winter blahs.... I'm doing well enough with my sun lamp to get out of bed and go to work, but not well enough to be creative and insightful. Wait, am I ever insightful?

So I'll be back eventually.... when I feel like I have something to say. Until then, if you aren't on Facebook yet, you should be. Then you can hear all the specifics about my boring life!

Change has come to our house...

2009-01-21T22:27:00.004-05:00

So beyond the world-rocking moment when Obama became our president, our world was rocked again yesterday, when Bill decided to be social!

Our cat Bill is completely anti-social. He doesn't like anybody but us, and sometimes he doesn't even like us. He tolerates the vet, and he's allowed the petsitter to medicate him, but only when he was locked up and couldn't get away. We found him living in a storm drain and he only approached us when he was really cold. Over the last four years, he's really become quite a good housecat, aside from the times he just flips out. Well, yesterday, it was like he had a personality transplant.

Our neighbor Heather was over here to watch the inauguration and she was sitting in what the cats consider their chair. Bill came down the stairs, noticed her, but didn't leave. She put her hand down and said "Hey Bill, come here..." and made a kissy noise. He didn't even blink, he just walked up to her and let her pet him! Heather and I were both gasping over it. BILL! Bill WALKED UP TO HER! He let her PET him! It was amazing! When he walked away, he sort of had this look like "oh, wait... I wasn't supposed to do that..." but over the course of the afternoon, he walked up to her three more times.

We're all still in shock. Change has come to Bill's personality... it's a bit of a miracle.

I have no words

2009-01-20T18:36:00.002-05:00

There is no way to express how happy I am today...

Thank you America. Thank you President Obama.

The house list for '09

2009-01-07T16:16:00.004-05:00

I've had a lot on my mind in the last week... and though I had so many plans to blog about different things, I never got to it. I may still, but for now, my topic is "What I want to do this year...for the house"

1) Redecorate/design the office. It's just not working right now and we never put a lot of thought into it, but I have grand plans to make it more functional as well as more organized. Matt and I have this running conversation about how he can't have TWO rooms (he gets the basement and currently the office....) but there's no place for me in there. I want to be able to use the room for projects, reading, and yoga. Currently it is only used for storage and for his computer use/neighborhood stuff. It has so much potential! I'm thinking this will happen in the next 3 months because nothing I'm looking at is especially expensive, it just needs inspiration.

2) paint my bathroom - I'm hiring this out. Totally hiring this out. The ceiling is high, the details are many.... my back hurts just thinking about it!

3) replace sink in my bathroom. The basin is cracked. Too many things dropped in it because some MAN decided a pedestal sink with no counter space could work. It can't and it doesn't and I'm tired of constantly dropping things in the sink because the little bit of available space around the sink is actually CURVED. WHY??? - also probably have to hire this out... unless my dad, who has plumbing expertise, happens to have some free time to visit and do it. A plumber would probably be cheaper! (that's what he'd tell me.)

4) figure out what to do about the "built in" shelving in the living room. We've wanted that to happen since we put up the tv, but my plans are in my head at this point. I'm thinking I need to bring in an electrician to mount the outlets to the brick wall and use case goods cabinets. We'll see. The wires are making me insane though! It's been 2 years!

5) Kitchen floor- So far those are all cosmetic issues... we should probably spend a little effort on figuring out why the kitchen floor is cracking. I suspect a structural problem of some sort. GREAT. Once that is squared away, we'll need a new kitchen floor. I want cork. So I either need to save money for that or drink a LOT of wine and make my own!

6) Window - It sure would be nice to finally figure out what to do about covering the front window. The cats destroyed our beautiful light-filtering honeycomb shade about a year after we put it up and I've hated looking at it, from outside or in, this whole time. But it's still functional and it hasn't been a priority. Thinking short cafe curtains for the lookie-loos and allow the cats to get in and out of the window easily, covered by sheers and then decorative curtains... but at the same time, that sounds really busy! I definitely need something opaque at street level though. There have been way too many break-ins based on what people can see through a window. Of course having the raggedy-ass cat-hair-coated shade in the window may just make them think we don't have anything inside worth stealing... hmmm....

7) Cleaning - I want to have the house professionally cleaned 1x a month or every 2 months. It was so nice to have it spotless for a while. I just don't have the time or the ability to do that myself without injury. It was worth it. We'll have to cut back elsewhere to make it happen, but since we don't have any money to go out anyway, our home should be a nice place to be IN.

8) Plants! - I can't wait to start up my garden! I have the Burpee catalog completely dogeared. Need to start planning for another beautifully green and herb-filled patio for all those fabulous parties we will end up hosting rather spontaneously! I'm planning on it. ;-)

I think that will keep us busy, and I see our budget as completely BLOWN. 2009 will be great!

Nermally

2008-12-24T21:12:00.003-05:00

I have a family member I ALWAYS look forward to seeing. He doesn't have much to say, and he won't call me on the phone, but he's always happy to see me. In fact sometimes he's a little bit clingy, but still, I love that he loves me as much as he does. It feels good to be remembered. He's my mom's cat. Nermal.

He wandered into our lives when he got lost in the rose garden outside my mom's office. She found him on "International Cat Day" and had to scoop him up so that he didn't get run over. She was just going to take him home and feed him until she found a home for him, and as usually happens, he'd found his home the second she picked him up. She considered it quite serendipitous to find a hungry little kitten on International Cat Day, so she named him Marmalade and kept him.

But he wasn't a Marmalade. A creamy orange tabby, yes, but when they observed his actions with our ancient grey tabby, Shadow, they couldn't do anything but change his name to Nermal. And it stuck. He's a Nermal, through and through. Shadow didn't take to him right away, so he decided that he would snuggle up with Wrangler, the dachshund, who was quite ok with it, except that Nermal could jump out of the pen, leaving the dog behind. When Shadow decided to accept him, they wrestled and groomed each other incessantly, but their personalities were quite distinct. Shadow was grouchy, old and rather mean. Nermal wanted nothing more than to jump into your arms and purr. He also tends to stick his tail into all nearby coffee cups. And he learned to bark, but not meow.

Nermal learned to love every member of the family except my youngest niece Allyson, who chases him through the house screaming "NERMIE!!" I'd run too, but she doesn't talk to me. He sure does make him self invisible when the kids appear on the scene. Allyson once wedged herself behind my mom's big screen tv, chasing Nermie. Since then he's chosen much better hiding places.

One of Nermal's worst habits though is getting lost. I don't quite know why we're so surprised when he escapes from the house and wanders off. Mom found him because he'd wandered off from the house near her office. When she figured out where he came from, the lady said "keep him! Want another?" So his sense of direction is somewhat lacking. And he won't come home. He waits for someone to come looking for him. Fortunately he picks the same hiding places repeatedly. It does upset my mom when he takes off though. I think that homing instinct is just missing from his brain.

We lost Shadow to old age a few weeks ago and Nermal is missing him. He's found his voice, learning how to meow for breakfast because nobody is doing it for him anymore. He's a bit more clingy, and he's been grooming Bossy, the rather large bulldog who just loves him. She grooms him too. One lick to the head pretty much gets him completely.

Holidays are about family, but for me, my visit home includes lots of cuddling with Nermally.

downshifting

2008-12-23T05:26:00.002-05:00

One of the challenges of my new schedule is that my body is now very adjusted to waking at 5 am. Alas, it is having trouble resetting to Central Vacation time... and I am WIDE AWAKE at 4:27 am. in Texas. I passed out at 9:30 last night. So even though I am so awake, I am enjoying being on a long break... we're in Texas for a week, but even after we return home, I still have another week off work. Woo hoo!

I've done absolutely nothing productive since I arrived, as it should be. Yesterday my niece and I went to get pedicures. I had a Margarita pedicure. They handed me a margarita, tossed lemons and limes and something that smelled really really good into the water and then scrubbed and buffed with all sorts of salts and such, even got a parafin treatment on my feet, all while my back was being kneaded and massaged by the chair. I drank my margarita and enjoyed every minute of it. Particularly because the whole thing only cost $40. The joy of the south... a much lower cost of living.

Getting lots of doggie time in too. Bossy, the family dog, was so happy to see me she can't stop hugging me. She whines if I'm not petting her. Although she does get a little annoyed with me because I apparently keep taking her spot on the sofa. I'm supposed to know which corner she wants, even though it changes from day to day. Snoopy, the trash hound, almost got "arrested" on Sunday, when a police officer caught him rampaging through the neighborhood, looking for goodies. The police detail is quite different here. My dad would like to point out that Texarkana just had their first homicide of the year. Last week.

It's cold here, for now at least, though somewhat warmer than Baltimore. The horse has his jacket on and the dogs are complaining about having to go outside to "use the facilities". Our rental car has a display that says "Ice may be possible, Use caution" everytime you turn the key. I've never seen that before.

As we all prepare for the festivities of our families, I wish you Merry Christmas and most importantly, a chance to rest and be at peace. We all need to slow down sometime. This is a good time of year to do so.

Peace.

Valuable, but small

2008-12-19T11:40:00.002-05:00

I don't like to talk about work much here because 1) it makes for boring copy and 2) well, you never know who's reading this.... but I've had such an intense week that I feel like I need to just offload a bit. My job interests me but is one of those that causes eye glaze with anyone that asks "so what do you do?" All I really do is move data around. From here to there, from there to here. Deliver it in fancy reports. Crunch it in programs. Rewrite it. Etc. It's a small job. And while it is important, and in these times I want to make sure my company feels it's very important, it's not data that changes the fate of the nation or the world. It affects a few hundred thousand people though, I guess. If I look at it a certain way...

Anyway, after an extremely rough week on the job, I was letting off a little steam with some friends last night at Three and one of them talked about her rough day... that she had someone code on her. She had to break out the paddles. It startled me. Living in Baltimore puts me in close proximity to almost every type of medical professional there is.... and many of them are my friends, but we don't talk about work much in Baltimore. That's why I like it. So I often forget that my friends that put back a few beers with me also literally hold lives in their hands on a daily basis. And when she described her bad day, my bad week seemed so minuscule in comparison. Sure, I'm dealing with stressed out evil monstrous demanding...(wait.... where was I?) but she kept somebody from dying! She literally restarted his heart. I made some data change from one thing to another.

When I told her about the program I wrote this week, that I spent hours and hours on, and was very proud of but felt it was nothing compared to what she did, she said "but I could never do that...." We all have different skills, and we all have to work at what we're good at, but sometimes I wish I was good at things that mattered more to me. When I leave work, I leave work behind. I don't take it home with me, and that's part of why I do like my job. Work/life balance is crucial, but sometimes I guess I just wish I valued what I did enough to make weeks like this worth it for more reason than "I'm still gainfully employed."

The sad thing about this week, and perhaps what has stressed me out the most is that the work I've been doing has all been on projects that didn't matter to me as much as another that I didn't have time to work on. The priorities seemed skewed to me. And while I did really enjoy tackling and beating that code I had to write, I would much rather have been creating something more visible to others. Only 2 people know that my code, the product of two and a half days of work, exists... ok, maybe more now that you're reading this. But only two people know what it does. Me and my boss. And we're both quite thrilled with it. But as of January 15thish, it's obsolete. Yeah.

In three and a half hours I begin a two week vacation. I so so so need it.

Back from the edge

2008-12-13T18:57:00.002-05:00

I've had a rough week. I think that's putting it nicely. One of my coworkers that I don't see very often plopped herself down in my cube yesterday and said "I had a dream that you were crying so I wanted to check and see if you're ok." I looked at her and broke into tears. Again. Yeah, it's been a tough week.

I'm recovering though. I finally went to urgent care and got some medicine for my back. The same old steroid/muscle relaxer/pain pill regimen that always works (short term anyway) and I'm feeling quite a bit better.... what I can feel anyway. It's still really tender and sore, but I think the therapy might actually have a better chance of working now that my chiropractor can actually touch me without me screaming in pain.

Still coughing... Matt's cold hit me harder than him. I can't drink enough tea, I think I'm up to 6 cups a day... but I think I might pop a vein with the coughing. Fortunately the codeine for my back is also helping my cough. Double bonus.

And with all this going on, my head is a little foggy. Ok, it's a lot foggy. And I have one week left in the office for the year. And about 3 weeks worth of work to finish. So yeah, I'm not doing so well, but I'm better than I was. I guess that's something.

While I do try to keep this rather anonymous...

2008-12-06T18:19:00.006-05:00

Just go ahead and pick up a copy of Sunday's Sun.

I am a little concerned about retaliation.... but we have insurance and good senses of humor, sometimes. They originally were to run it in the business section, which seemed a little less threatening, but it must be a slow news week because Boom, right there, above the fold on the Sunday paper is my husband! AIEEIEIEIEIE!

Update: Whew! Looks like it was only the front page of the Saturday edition of the Sunday paper. Find it in the business section now.

I don't have an answer

2008-12-04T22:50:00.002-05:00

I was thinking about this post all day. I was planning to write it but I was just so busy. And then everything changed again and now what I was going to say doesn't especially apply. At least not at the moment.

I was thinking my back was pretty much better. I am fatigued of people asking me how I am because I'm honestly just tired of talking about it. I'm tired of chronic pain. Of not knowing if it's going to be a good day or a bad day, physically, when I get up in the morning. Of just trying to cope with it, to work in my physical therapy amongst my commuting, work projects piling on my head and inability to drive in traffic with this pain. But I was starting to feel better. I really was. I was at the point that when I walked into therapy last night, I felt fine, and I felt fine when I left. But tonight... oh, no... it wasn't good.

The doctor decided on Monday that it was probably time to do a new procedure referred to as "Belted Traction". The mere sound of it scared me. It involves leather straps and metal pulleys, weights and a motor that tugs you back and forth. I was a little afraid but everyone kept telling me it would be fine. I should have gone with my instinct. When I walked into the office today, I felt fine. I've worked from home for two days in a row, which is great because the doc pointed out that going to work is hard on me... it's either the commute or all the sitting in the same chair, but I'm better on days I don't go into the office. I was a little tense in my upper back, but after the first round of therapy that was gone. Then they strapped me in.

I didn't feel anything at first, and then they added more weights and tightened the straps. And then again. It works by yanking on your hips, pulling them away from the rest of your body which is pulled the other direction. I could feel the tension letting go, and it actually was ok. Maybe a bit much, but generally ok. Until it was over. The second I grabbed the hand of my attendant and tried to lift myself up, pain shot through my back, down my leg and into my foot. I screamed slightly, but when I was all the way up I collapsed back to the bed again and doubled over in pain, sobbing. It hurt SO bad. I think it actually hurt more than it's ever hurt... even more than it hurt when I first called and made an appointment!

I stumbled into the hall to get some water to stop the crying. The doctor came running and put me back down on the ultrasound bed so I could get some immediate pain relief. After five more minutes of that, they iced me down for 10 minutes. My session was clearly over, they couldn't do anything else to me... but they were worried I wouldn't be able to drive.

I probably should have called Matt and asked for help, or my friend Shosh who lives very close to the office, but I felt a little better so I got in the car and headed to 695 to 95. Holy Crap. Why all the jersey walls? WHY? and it was RAINING?!?! Ugh. I actually drove in the middle of the two lanes on the ramp to 95 because there wasn't much traffic and I just couldn't just couldn't stay in my lane with those walls. Luckily nobody pulled me over. No officer, I haven't been drinking, but I am in extreme pain.

Made it to Pulaski, tried not to swerve too much, got home and tried to park without hurting myself. Not so good. I absolutely collapsed the minute I got in the door. The cats started walking on me. They were hungry.

Matt finally came upstairs and I realized why he didn't answer the phone when I called. His small cold that he was fighting last night is now the full blown, well, I don't know? Flu? He gets sick so rarely that it's odd to see him like this. He was shaking with chills and sneezing, couldn't breathe. I screamed "PERCOSET" and he found the very last tablet I had left over from my last trip to the ER for back issues. Then he collapsed on the sofa and mumbled something about how he was sorry he wouldn't be able to cook dinner.

So I ordered a pizza. He said "you have cash, right?" sure, I said. and I thought I did. Technically, I did, but $8 does not buy a pizza. I grabbed his wallet and found another $3. Looked in my coat pocket and found a $1, upstairs to the change jar for another $1 and $2 in quarters. Hmmm. Feeling completely embarrassed, upset, in pain, etc.... I didn't know what to do. I picked up the phone and started calling friends. Nobody was home at the first few calls and then Matt called a friend one block over. "dude, I know this is random, but can I borrow $10?" Then he explained what I did. And I started crying again. It's the pain, really. It's just the pain. Matt sneezed. Our friend had $8. We could borrow it. Matt headed out and met him on the corner where they slapped palms and exchanged the cash. I'm still giggling about that. I really hope nobody saw it.

I got my pizza, Matt went downstairs to pass out and cough, and my mom called to tell me our cat died at 16 years old. I'm sad about it, but he wasn't in good shape, so it's best that he's not struggling anymore. He never did forgive me for leaving home. Sorry Shadow.

Speaking of cats, there is DEFINITELY something trying to chew through the wall and Lucy and Jack are quite upset about it. Me too, but I don't know... drywall saw? or hope it dies soon? before it gets into the wiring?? hey... that would probably kill it faster!

I wish I had more percoset. I'm really tired of hurting, but I'm more tied of talking about it.

Oh... yeah...

2008-11-30T22:07:00.003-05:00

I have a blog! I almost forgot!

Hey. I'm still here. Mostly! Since my last post I've attended a Russian-Jewish wedding, entertained my parents, cooked a 22+ pound turkey, decorated my Christmas tree, been to the chiropractor about 15 times, worked too hard, stressed myself out, happily used my china and crystal for the first time for dinner for 9 (the exact number of plates I have!), been to happy hour and burned myself on a tiny little lightbulb. Pretty amazing stuff. Aren't you sorry you missed the long drawn out details of all of those things?

I know. It's so sad! You won't get to hear about the tales of smoked fish and vodka shots, breaking the law by parking at the Pentagon, hiring a lady to clean the house (whew, those stairs are STILL slippery!), and why I just might lose my mind in the next week. I can't even tell you how many times I had to be plugged in to a shock unit or why exactly those replacement bulbs from Walmart seem to be 300 degrees and might burn down my Christmas tree....

ah.

No, I'm not going to tell you. I'll just say I'm still here, and still quite incredibly busy with a still rather painful back issue/situation and way less time to blog than I'd like.

Oh, and you missed pie. PIE.

ok, I'll be better, I promise.

but first I must say Happy 6th Anniversary to Matt. Glad I met you today, way back when. Best first date ever! Obviously...

I would call myself a slug...

2008-11-13T12:58:00.003-05:00

but for the fact that slugs are invertebrates and thus do not have the capacity for back pain or numbness in the legs. They don't, in fact, have legs. But I do. Not that you would know it... I haven't been out of the house in 6 days aside from 3 trips to the chiropractor. I haven't had anywhere else to go... well, except for work, which I'm doing from home. I'm dreading tomorrow, as I have to go in, but I know that within half an hour of sitting in my desk chair I'll have electric shocks running down my right leg. See, me and sitting.... they don't go so well together. I can do it easily with pillows, but a hard chair? nuh-uh. my ergonomic chair might actually be comfortable if the parts of me that are supposed to be ergonomic were actually in the right place. They aren't. That's the problem.

Yesterday they added the rolling bed and the wobble board to my physical therapy. The rolling bed hurt for about the first half of use, which may be why I'm so sore today, but the wobble board? I don't need a wobble board to wobble. I have horrific balance on my own, thank you! But hey, the doc says to wobble for 5 minutes, so I wobbled. wobble wobble wobble. I love that word. Anyway, the doc shared with me that a herniated disc will pretty much always be with you, but the pain doesn't have to be. meaning.... we can push it back in enough so it stops bumping into your sciatic nerve, and you'll be ok.

I will be ok.

eventually.

But I have to go into the office tomorrow, if only because I haven't been in a week. Not that odd, since I had Monday and Tuesday off and Wednesday was my normal telecommute day.... but still, I have to show my face. Plus Matt has Friday off and it's really hard to work while he's home, not working.

Sorry I don't have much to say. I haven't been out of my house in almost a week! I can tell you it's raining!

I need more ice!

2008-11-10T23:04:00.003-05:00

I had to leave our neighborhood meeting before it ended tonight because I couldn't sit in the chair any longer (and because it was dragging on and on because some guy who never comes to meetings would not shut up...). I was glad to get home to an ice pack. My xrays show I have a possible bulging (or maybe herniated, but probably not) disk in my lower back. Is it disk or disc? I don't know. All I know is that it's hard to see cartilage on an x-ray... but the bones were closer together. Ahh. So I scheduled my next 14 appointments(!) and had my physical therapy and adjustment. Felt better for a couple of hours. And then the meeting.

Fourteen more appointments and I should be a lot better. If not, I get to have an MRI. I'll probably be better. Probably.

ahhhh

2008-11-08T18:56:00.003-05:00

Made it to the chiropractor this morning. I used to go to one a lot. This is my 4th chiropractor in my lifetime... all events mostly related to my lower back and an injury that occurred about 20 years ago. Apparently knocking your leg out of your hip socket is the gift that keeps on giving! ;-) So with the radiating bursts of pain, I knew it was sciatica. Doc agreed, but he said "we just want to know WHY you have it...." something that, you know, I hadn't really thought about before. I just had it. I liked this guy.

So he did some tests of movement but said he needed to see x-rays before he could do anything more than basic physical therapy. He suspects a disc problem. I suspect that pesky leg/hip thing, but he probably knows more than me. I had some ultrasound, some jolts from the electrode thing and an ice pack, and for fun, a sinus treatment... the therapist ran microcurrents through my sinuses. I don't know if it actually helped or not, but it didn't feel awful, so maybe it's helpful?

Had to go to a radiology center for the x-rays and my next appointment is on Monday afternoon. I spent the rest of the day on advil, ice and sleep. I feel slightly better now. I'm getting a massage tomorrow morning, and Matt's on kitchen duty tonight (I cooked A LOT this week!) and I'm calm and hoping to feel a lot better soon.

I'm still quite content from the election. As I walked through DC yesterday there was a really positive vibe buzzing around the city. Hope. Things will get better. It's all going to be better now. And congrats to Frank Kratovil and his "liberal policies"! I know it's not officially over yet, but it looks like he really really won. Whew! Andy Harris deserved to lose for his commercials alone!

Exhaustion

2008-11-06T08:49:00.004-05:00

I have friends that work for political organizations that are going on vacation now. They have surely earned it. Me? I just feel like I need it. I am so completely exhausted, physically and mentally, now that the election is over. I have been so keyed up for so long, so completely tense, so mentally into the game, that now that I have my life back, I just want to collapse. I don't need to check 538.com every 20 minutes to see if there is a new poll. I don't have to look at CNN or HuffPost or Wonkette. Nothing can change it now that Obama has WON in such a huge margin! I don't have to worry about it being stolen. It's done. I can finally get back to work on, well, everything else...

but I can't lift my head. I'm so tired. My back hurts. My legs hurt. My feet hurt. My wrist hurts. I just hurt. It's the letdown, post Christmas, if you will. Thing is, I'm also suffering from news fatigue. I look for new stories, but I already know everything they are writing about... Yesterday I wanted to know everything about world reaction, I read personal stories about why this election meant so much. Today I'm laughing hysterically because Fox News is finally allowed to tell us that Palin thought Africa was a country, not a continent, that McCain didn't like her and made fun of her behind her back, and that she was a million times worse than we could ever have dreamed. Glad we dodged that lunatic. But I'm burned out on her too. I can't read another word. I don't ever want to see her face again.

I do have a 4 day weekend coming up. Maybe I could find some somewhere to go, and a chiropractor.

Update: I have a 9 am Saturday morning appt. with a chiropractor. Unlike a vacation, this will be at least mostly covered by my insurance.

Thank you, America

2008-11-05T00:23:00.003-05:00

It was with cautious optimism that I asked Matt to chill the champagne. I was full of hope while I mixed the brownies and served the shredded chicken and pasta to our intimate house party tonight. It was with distraction that I chatted amongst the guests while keeping my eyes on the clock and the tv. And it was with jubilation that I realized it was locked in and poured the champagne for everyone. SCREAMS AND CHEERS resounded from our house. Cell phones rang. Texts rang in. Facebook was updated. and of course, being Baltimore, celebratory gunshots rang out.

I can't even begin to tell you how relieved, how happy, how overwhelmed with pure joy I am. I know many of you feel the same.

For those few who may have been surprised by tonight, you just weren't paying attention. You weren't paying attention to the quiet murmur of the masses, the rallying, the fundraising, the canvassing, the COMMUNITY ORGANIZING going on all around you. I'm sure you didn't see much of it in Texas, but when my friend Amy, with her two small children, found time to canvass in her home state of Virginia, I knew we had something special. There was something HAPPENING in America. And tonight, tonight it all came together.

We drank our champagne, we watched the speeches, we cried, we ate brownies and cheese, popcorn and pie. We celebrated together because tonight was a celebration for the world. We have a long road ahead, but I, for one, am filled with optimism, hope, and joy. I don't think I'll have trouble sleeping anymore.

Bless you America, and Bless you Obama. YES WE DID!

Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change!

2008-11-04T12:45:00.002-05:00

To soothe me through this long long day...

The most important thing I did all day

2008-11-04T11:06:00.002-05:00

The polls in Maryland opened at 7 am. We waited in line for about 35 minutes or so. That's the longest line I've ever seen in Baltimore City, and it was growing. A neighbor said she waited an hour.

And for once, they had stickers, which helped me get my free Starbucks. A few more and I can stay up tonight to watch the results.

I have comfort food in the crock pot (chicken and mushrooms with potatoes) and a few friends coming over to help us get through this. Champagne in the fridge.

I love America.

YES WE CAN!

Current Mood: Tingly with Hope, Giddy with Optimism, Shaking with Nervousness

2008-10-30T12:38:00.002-04:00

I loved last night's "infomercial" but the speech below is just what I needed to hear right now. People ask why "hope" is so important... it's because we haven't had much of it in the last several years. Obama is inspiring, he is hope-filled, and more importantly, he has what it takes to take charge and he understands that we are ONE Nation.

And I'm nervous because I'm worried that this will be stolen from us as before. Dirty tricks are the opposite of HOPE.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. Get there early. Stand in line. Make it count!

Jack earns his keep

2008-10-27T20:43:00.002-04:00

Jen and Joe came over with Bianca, but she was so into the smell of the cats that she was not remotely interested in searching for the "mouse", but on the other hand, I'm glad that my house smells more like "cat" than "mouse". We did at least isolate it to behind the china cabinet and at one point Matt saw it hanging from the electrical cord half-way up the wall.

When the cats were let out again to search they did look for it, but it wasn't really successful... I thought Bill had it but he was shaking the life out of a puff ball toy. Lucy was sniffing a toy mouse. Jack was still interested though, and when I stuck the broom under the cabinet, it ran out and Jack nailed it in the tile vestibule. He smacked it and then had it in his mouth, ran across the rug, dropped it, caught it again, and then as we tried to herd him outside with it, he dropped it under the dining table. He was looking for it, but Matt grabbed some paper towels and was able to grab it. He tossed it in the trash bag, took it outside and beat it. I don't know if the mouse is dead, but it's not in the house.

Jack didn't see Matt catch it, so he's still looking. He has tasted mouse, and he will not rest.

And he will NOT rest upon my pillow tonight. I really don't want him drooling on me tonight!

What I'm REALLY trying not to think about is the concept of "where there is one there are many..." and I'm also trying to ignore that Bill is in the kitchen sniffing under the fridge.

I'm glad I'm going to work tomorrow!!!

all that training...

2008-10-27T18:49:00.002-04:00

for years we've been buying cat toys, and Lucy and Bill have thoroughly hunted them, but at the moment? Bill is lounging in his cat tree, not remotely interested in looking for what caused me to scream. Lucy just keeps staring at the vestibule, where it WAS, I guess hoping it will come back there?

Bill must have read my mind. He just got up and is now looking.

There is so much stuff on the floor that it could be hiding under but I just can't touch any of it because I might find it! When I picked up that wrapping paper tube a few minutes ago and it was inside, I just kept screaming! Apparently hiding your wrapping paper behind the couch is a tip I will never ever do again. At least it's small enough that it fits inside a tube of Ikea wrapping paper.

I called my friend Jen to ask to borrow her dachshund She didn't answer. I can't possibly put my shoes on tomorrow if it's still here somewhere.

The living room is in complete disarray... furniture shoved everywhere. Matt's still at work. I think I'm going to go get in the bathtub. At least it won't crawl up my leg there.

I'm kind of amazed that I'm this freaked out right now. I've dealt with much bigger rats with no problem, but this thing? TOTALLY freaked out. and for the record, while I accept it's probably a baby rat, in my head it's a mouse until it's gone!

EEEK!!

2008-10-27T18:29:00.003-04:00

well, it must be fall. That little creature Lucy and Jack are looking for is NOT a toy.

I was so close to capturing it, but I kept flinching and screaming, well, like a GIRL! And now it's probably under the china cabinet, but that's not where they are loking, so I'll leave it up to Jack. I wandered why he suddenly dove under the sofa last night.

I can't can't can't take this!!!

the fact that it's alive and in my house, or the idea that my cat is about to catch it and kill it! EWWWWW!!!!!

The sound you are hearing is me screaming. At least it is really really small. but sitll. EEEKK

Barack O'Lantern

2008-10-27T18:04:00.001-04:00

Ok, so my camera phone sucks and I can't find my camera, but here is my Barack O'Lantern!

I think it will stay indoors for now.

awesomeness

2008-10-25T10:47:00.001-04:00

ok, so I confess, I HATED the original commercial, if only because while in Ireland at a bar with my friend Jen, the Irish guys around us, upon realizing we were American kept saying "WASSUPPPPPP???" and it drove me insane.

but this? This brilliant piece of film? LOVE IT.

Oh what a wild ride it's been.

Bleh

2008-10-24T12:00:00.002-04:00

That's how I feel right now. Bleh.

Yeah, ok, so who woulda thunk that shaking hands with/hugging approx. 400 people last week PLUS 4 airplanes would have given me a cold? yeah, I know. It was inevitable of course. I get sick approx. 95% of the time I travel... those stats based purely on guessing.

I will say that I have resisted the urge to take any decongestants. I've been using a Neti pot instead. It has been pretty effective at keeping my nose clear so I can breathe, but I still feel like utter crap. Utter crap that can breathe. So hey, three cheers for pouring 16 oz. of saline through the nose each day. woo hoo.

got a lot on my mind right now, but very little actual mental capacity at the moment. sorry about that. I don't actually know why I can't think (aside from the cold) but I can't. Brain not working. fabulous.

so here's my list:

1) I rescheduled Matt's birthday party for Halloween night... which means a lot of people can't come, but we couldn't figure out when else to do it this year. Also it gives us an excuse to not be home on Ghettoween.

2) I've promised Matt a peanut butter chocolate cake for his party. It requires 3 cake pans. I have 2. I have yet to decide if I should just bake in shifts or buy another pan and this is plaguing me. Plaguing me more so than how to handle the actual decorating of the cake which involves pouring gooey ganache down a peanut-butter buttercream frosted cake. Oh, and how to get it there without it collapsing. Or sticking to anything. details details.

3) My house is a wreck but I can't do anything about it because that would require actually doing something to make it clean. And I just don't have the physical or mental energy for that right now.

4) My cousin is probably staying over the night of Matt's party, and she's never been to our house, so it would be nice if we could theoretically clean at least most of it before then.

5) We're hosting Thanksgiving at our house for orphan friends who can't make it home this year. I need to know how big a turkey to order. I'm clueless. Also, we only have 9 plates in our fine china pattern, so I either need to stop at 9 people or get more china by next month. Of course, we also only have 6 chairs. Hmm.

6) It's cold. It's freaking cold. My office is cold. My house is cold. It's cold outside. I will not turn on the heat at home yet because it's still hovering around 70 and that's warm enough not to bother with heat. BUT they won't turn on the heat at the office and I feel that is horrifically unfair. I'd also like to blame my lack of mental capacity on being cold. My name is Summer. I don't function when cold.

7) I got to DC today BEFORE sunrise. I find that absolutely terrible. When is daylight savings over?

8) I bought some Waterford brandy glasses on sale at Boscov's going out of business sale. Last night I attempted to remove them from the box and immediately dropped one. It shattered into a gazillion pieces. I swept. I mopped. I vacuumed. I just hope I got it all. And now we only have 1 brandy glass. We don't actually drink much (any) brandy at home, but Matt was opening up the Madeira we bought a few years ago and I thought it would be nice to use the snifters for it. We used some Reidel tumblers instead. Though they are also crystal, I dropped one once and it bounced. NICE. The Madeira was delish but did not actually help my cold in any way I can tell.... though I was physically able to come to work today, which I couldn't do yesterday. I still shouldn't be here though.

and now, lunch.

Yes We Carve!

2008-10-21T15:25:00.002-04:00

I'm not allowed to have a pumpkin, says Matt, after my first one was stolen from our steps 3 years ago... but I think I have a good case here for trying again. I can't wait to do this!!!

Yes We CARVE!!!

Stencils here!

Small town values

2008-10-21T15:04:00.005-04:00

It's no secret I'm from a small town... well, a small metro area, maybe? but Palin thinking that cities aren't "REAL" America gets me....

Payback is hell, eh?

Home

2008-10-19T15:09:00.002-04:00

Thank you for all your comments on the last post. I decided not to publish them because I wanted to keep them for me. They meant a lot.

Matt and I arrived home last night. Our luggage arrived this afternoon. Beyond that hassle, I was already feeling rather fragile when we got home. I didn't think I could just step back into my life after all the pain and grief of last week. I didn't quite know what to do about it either. Then we got home and saw that our wonderful neighbors left a platter of cookies and pumpkin bread on the kitchen counter. There was also a bottle of wine and a tray of peanut butter chocolate rice krispie treats in the fridge. And a sympathy card for me and a birthday card for Matt. Then we went through the mail and found more cards from neighbors. It was a joyous outpouring of friendship and I suddenly felt extremely comforted. While there was no end to the pie and barbecue dropped off for us in Texas, that was for the family as a whole, from people that had known us for years. This show of generosity and friendship was for us from people we've only known a year or two. and it felt so good to know that we're really loved here. That we do have our own "family" here, even if we aren't related.

The week in Texas was so hard. It was never going to be easy, of course, but we just weren't ready. The death was sudden, an aneursym most likely, not the cancer she'd been battling for so long. In a way, of course, it's good and I was told many times that she didn't suffer and she never had to go to hospice or deal with all the pain. She died at home, and it was quick. But I wasn't quite ready. We weren't quite ready. She was much more ready than we were.

Between all the hugs and handshakes, the tears and sobs, the knowing looks, the pats on the shoulder, I tried to process it all. I still don't think I've absorbed it fully. The hardest thing, aside from the viewing, was walking into her living room, sitting on the sofa, and looking at her empty chair. She'd been in that chair every time I had been in that room for the last few years. It was suddenly a symbol. We moved throughout the house, looking at every room, absorbing all the memories. I told Matt the stories. Touched the things that meant so much. Not only did I lose my Granni, I lost the vibrancy of Granni's house, and that is a death too.

I grew up across the backyard from Granni's house. My grandparents built their house in the 60's and a decade later my parents bought the one in the next lot. They faced different streets on the corner, so it was like we had one giant yard. With a pool, a horsepen, and a wooded area, it was just what a kid woud want to grow up on. When my parents weren't home, we went over to Granni's. We ate dinner there a lot in the summer on the patio, or sometimes in the breakfast room, and so many times in the formal dining room where she let us drink juice from her Waterford. That house is as much home as my own parents' home, as much as my home now. And now it will all change. The possessions will be distributed, the house will, well, we don't know what yet will happen... but it will never be the same.

My grandparents are buried in a cemetary in my grandfather's home town, about 30 miles from Texarkana. Matt and mom and I drove out there the day after the funeral, just to check on things. Mom told us stories about some of the people buried around them. We drove past where my great-grandmother's house used to be. That was torn down a few years ago. That was hard too, though I spent far fewer years there and the land belongs to the electric co-op my great grandmother started, so that's a bit easier. Still, it's funny how you think these things will never change and yet there is nothing to do to keep it from happening.

There are many things that happen to me when I am in Texas. My voice changes. I'm more patient (sometimes), and I look for people I know, but as much as we toyed with the idea of moving there, the minute we got home and saw the cookies, the cards, the love from our neighbors, we knew we've found our home, here, in Baltimore.

It's good to be home.

Loss

2008-10-12T22:43:00.005-04:00

This is my 499th post. I really wanted #500 to be something special, but alas... I lost my beloved Granni tonight. She's been battling ovarian cancer since February of 2007. She held it back for a while, long enough to get her strength back, walk down the aisle at my wedding, and tell us all how much she loved us, but it came back with a vengeance a few months ago and it took her tonight. As much as we knew it was coming, I was still shocked when my Dad called to tell me. Though you can never plan these things, the irony cuts deep as I just got back from a major grocery shopping trip, was looking forward to Matt's birthday party on Friday, have a lot to do at work... but these things get wiped off the slate. My Granni died. We are going home to be with my family.

We're fortunate to have so many friends here, and we have someone lined up to help with the house and cats. I'm still looking at airfare but got the number for the bereavement travel agency the funeral home suggests. The meat is in the freezer, the veggies will be handed off. Weird to think of fresh eggplant at a time like this, perhaps, but no need to waste it, you know? Matt pulled his suit out of the closet and I need to find a same-day dry cleaner. I don't have anything to wear so I'll be hitting the mall in the morning. Luckily I already had the day off so I don't even have to think about work right now. We're planning to fly out Tuesday morning.

I'm not posting this for lots of comments, I know you'll be thinking of me and I appreciate it. I just want to let you know where I'm going and why the next post may be a while.

Kablooey

2008-10-08T14:06:00.002-04:00

I had a history teacher in high school that told us her parents were married on November 1st (or thereabouts), 1929. She had asked them later how they could have celebrated during a time like that. Her mother explained that they didn't really know about the stock market crash then, that it was only later that they realized how bad it was.

Hmmm.

Of course, it's not 1929. We have the internet now. We have 24 hour news stations. We hear all day long how the DOW is doing. We can't get away from it. But do we still really understand exactly what is happening now? Is there any possible way to really understand it until we're through it? I don't think so.

This morning I woke up to hear about the rate cut, about how it was a coordinated global effort. That England is nationalizing banks. Oil is dropping. I got an email from a local jeweler promoting their "home gold buying parties". My 401k? 25% loss this year. Forgive me while I freak out a bit.

I'm reminded, perhaps wrongly so, but still, it's there, of the book Atlas Shrugged. Nationalizing businesses? For our own good? For the public's own good? Screwing with the markets? Pretending it's not socialism? I'm just stunned. Incidentally, the film with Angelina Jolie is slated for 2009 release.

So, where, exactly, is the valley of intellectuals? I'd like to be invited in. I wouldn't mind running away from this new reality for a while. My vacation helped, but we can't afford to do that again in... well, I have no idea how long it will be. YEARS? Probably.

By the way, I had a blast on our trip. Absolutely wonderful.

and now we're home.

I have been reprimanded

2008-10-07T18:53:00.004-04:00

by Bill. He's really really really ticked at me for putting him in the kennel. REALLY ticked. In fact he yelled at me the whole ride home from the vet and then immediately went to the basement to hide. He didn't stay there long though. He's upstairs now. I think he wants to make sure nothing changed while he was gone. But it will be a LONG time before he approaches me on his own.... I'm being punished.

Nevertheless, he got a good report card from the kennel.

Are you registered?

2008-10-07T17:46:00.001-04:00

The deadline in Maryland is October 14th.

This weekend

2008-10-02T21:12:00.005-04:00

Woohoo!!! Friday night in Pittsburgh, Saturday-Tuesday in the Laurel Highlands, staying at the B&B, (4th pic), to see Kentuck Knob (2nd pic) and Fallingwater (3rd pic). Oh, and to drink a bottle of wine that Eileen gave us for a wedding gift! The 5 and 10 year bottles are still put away.

Talk to you when I get back! (or maybe before. The B&B has free wireless.)

Need some road songs!

2008-10-02T09:14:00.003-04:00

So tomorrow morning Matt and I are embarking on our anniversary trip. More about that later though, the purpose of this post is to solicit your help! We'll be driving about 5 hours tomorrow, and an hour or two a day all weekend, and then 4 hours on Tuesday. (ha, maybe you can have fun trying to figure out where we're going?) I am betting on poor radio reception so we will be leaning heavy on the ipod.

I need some tunes! I have a nice chunk of credit on iTunes and zero inspiration. What do you like to sing along to while you drive? Doesn't have to be recent. Matt and I both love REM and Elvis Costello, and though I am a Counting Crows/Bon Jovi/Jack Johnson/John Mayer/John Mellencamp FREAK, he only tolerates those in small doses. ;-)

I put together a small play-list for my 2 hour drive from Little Rock to Texarkana a couple of weeks ago. Here's what's on it to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. I usually put it on shuffle, so this is in alpha order. All songs have to be singable, though not necessarily upbeat... I'd like to mix some more into this list so I don't get sick of it. Any ideas???

Alison - Elvis Costello
Allstar - Smashmouth
And We Danced - Hooters
Anyone Can Play Guitar - Radiohead
Asylum Street Blues - Asylum Street Spankers
The Best of What's Around - Dave Matthews Band
Blaze of Glory - Bon Jovi
Boogie Shoes - K.C. and the Sunshine Band
Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) - US3
Check It Out - John Mellencamp
Child of the Wild Blue Yonder - John Hiatt
City of Blinding Lights - U2
Dance With You - Live
Daylight Fading - Counting Crows
Don't Feel Like Crying - Abra Moore
Don't Go Back to Rockville - REM
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Good Morning Baltimore - Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray)
Good Year for the Roses - Elvis Costello (perhaps not the most romantic of songs, but I like it)
Kodachrome - Paul Simon
Late in the Evening - Paul Simon
Let Go - Frou Frou
Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse
Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man) - Randy Newman
Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
The Other Side of Summer - Elvis Costello
The Rising - Bruce Springsteen
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Run to the Water - Live
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
Save the Last Dance for Me - Michael Buble
Simple Kind of Life - No Doubt
Something to Believe In - Bon Jovi
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
Sugar Blue - Jeff Finlin
Things - Paul Westerberg
This Will Be My Year -Semisonic

This is the "stop shoving pills down my throat" look

2008-10-01T09:49:00.001-04:00

Bill, unhappy.

Bill's undoing

2008-09-30T09:06:00.004-04:00

or maybe mine.

He's probably going to be fine, in the end, but on the way there he has been given/prescribed:

1) a shot of pepcid (at the vet)
2) a shot of penicillin (at the vet)
3) a 7 day supply of amoxicillin (2 pills a day)
4) a 6 day supply of panacur (powder mixed in food)
5) a 3 month supply of Revolution (applied to the back of his neck 1x a month)

oh, and he will spend the weekend in a lovely cat condo at our vet because I can't inflict that upon my neighbor.

But the worst of it is the vet suspects maybe the cat grass is to blame for his recurrent infection by parasite. We buy the cat grass from a farmer at the market every Sunday. Bill looks forward to this and gets visibly excited on Sunday mornings when his cat grass is brought home. He LOVES a good salad before every meal. I think it is leftover from his time as a stray. We know the grass is grown in a greenhouse, but we can't be sure of what condition the greenhouse is in. For now, he can't have any more cat grass for several weeks.

We think he already knows this because Matt tossed it on Sunday when he started to get sick again, but it probably won't kick in for real until we don't bring anymore home for him. And he's not happy already. He was rather mean to me this morning before he hid under the bed, so I'm already behind on his antibiotic because I decided not to miss the train to medicate a grumpy cat whose tummy probably hurts from all the stuff they gave him yesterday, not just the parasite.

So my new mission in life, aside from not going back to the vet this year, is to find a way to make Bill happy. The parasites may very well be in the soil, so ideally we should be growing his wheat grass without soil. I imagine this is possible, but I'll wait until I get home to google "hydroponic grass" lest the people at work get the wrong idea.

If Sarah Palin really is a Disney Movie, here's the trailer...

2008-09-29T13:04:00.000-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Ah.... that's better!

2008-09-29T10:31:00.002-04:00

The A/C guys were here at 9:20 a.m. and in just half an hour they found the leak, fixed it, and recharged the freon. It wasn't "cheap" but was a lot less than I expected. Most importantly, the house is cooling down FAST. This will probably make a major difference in the utility bills next summer. It's almost COLD in here now! YAY!!!!

figures

2008-09-28T18:07:00.001-04:00

It's 81 in our house so the windows are open from the top, and the neighbors across the street have company. Every small child in their large family is running up and down the block, screaming their heads off. I can only hope they get tired soon.