I’m pretty sure I saw an oxymoron this morning while driving to work.
It was a vanity plate.
It said:
“2 CLASY”
What do you think?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
First Biking Update
Friday night I hurried home and put myself together to go out on my first bike ride in almost 2 years. I dusted off the camelbak, unearthed my bike shorts and brushed off my helmet and headed out right after work.
It wasn't too tough but it wasn't easy either. There were several hills to climb and I had to dig deep to get up a few of them. I thought my heart might beat right out of my chest!
I rode 6 miles in 50 minutes and I was tired. In my mind that isn't good enough to do this 20 mile ride in 2 weeks.
So what I'm going to do now is ride more this week and see how I feel about it by the end of the week.
Regardless, I'm glad I'm riding again and it is nice to have a goal to work towards.
It wasn't too tough but it wasn't easy either. There were several hills to climb and I had to dig deep to get up a few of them. I thought my heart might beat right out of my chest!
I rode 6 miles in 50 minutes and I was tired. In my mind that isn't good enough to do this 20 mile ride in 2 weeks.
So what I'm going to do now is ride more this week and see how I feel about it by the end of the week.
Regardless, I'm glad I'm riding again and it is nice to have a goal to work towards.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Cowtown Classic
Call me crazy if you want but just today I decided to see if I can do the shortest distance in the Cowtown Classic this year. Its 20 miles. I haven't been on my bike in at least a year. The ride is 2 1/2 weeks away.
I spent a few minutes looking at the info on the website, printed the cue and route maps along with the registration form. Then I ran to Target and picked up a Bike Computer. I've been wanting one anyway as I anticipate bike riding will commence this fall when the weather cools. We live too close to a NICE trail to not be riding.
Anyway, so over the next couple of weeks I'll see how far I can ride without too much trouble to gauge if I can even pull off a 20 mile ride in this short of a time.
I think I can. Actually I know I can so really the question is, can I do it and still enjoy it. That's the part I think I can do.
We'll see. I'll update how my first ride goes soon.
I spent a few minutes looking at the info on the website, printed the cue and route maps along with the registration form. Then I ran to Target and picked up a Bike Computer. I've been wanting one anyway as I anticipate bike riding will commence this fall when the weather cools. We live too close to a NICE trail to not be riding.
Anyway, so over the next couple of weeks I'll see how far I can ride without too much trouble to gauge if I can even pull off a 20 mile ride in this short of a time.
I think I can. Actually I know I can so really the question is, can I do it and still enjoy it. That's the part I think I can do.
We'll see. I'll update how my first ride goes soon.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Feeling Accomplished
Wow I got a lot done this weekend. Alas there are no pretty pictures this time.
It is all a blur really, I can't remember everything exactly how it happened but the weekend felt long and although I got a lot done I also felt like I had plenty of time to relax and goof off, which I did as well.
Firstly, Honey and I were able to get some regular maintenance things done. The whole house was swept or vacuumed, the dishes were done and some laundry was taken care of. I even washed the dog blanket and the dogs! They got their nails clipped too. Milo doesn't like it but he holds still for me but Mina hates it. The poor thing is terrified so we wrapped her in a towel and Honey held her while I clipped as quickly as possible.
She also killed another squirrel and brought it into the house while we were out grocery shopping. She was barking at it wildly and it hit me funny that she was in the house, barking her head off at a dead squirrel. We also picked up a stray dog and brought him home. It was a little Scottie dog who turned out to be named Bogie. My Aunt and Uncle (they live next door) found his owner while we were off shopping.
I was able to finally get my winter clothes washed and put away for the summer. You may think it is a little too late for that, and although they could have easily gone into storage several months ago, they'll be in there several months still before it cools off again. The laundry process isn't finished. I need to de-wrinkle all the clean warm weather clothes and put them away properly. I think laundry is the bane of my existence.
On Saturday I mowed the front and back yards and Honey edged the driveway. He had gone to get his haircut and jumped in on the lawn maintenance action when he returned.
Yesterday I finished my plans for cleaning up the backyard. Due to the hot summer weather we've had some leaves falling and the yard actually needed to be raked! I was happy the temperature was cool because raking in mid August is just ridiculous. After that I got the hoe and rearranged the dirt around all the holes the dogs have dug. By rearrange I mean I turned the mounds around the holes back into the holes to fill them and level out the ground as best as I could. It isn't perfect, but it is better. I think we'd have to bring in a tiller to level the whole yard now. I'm sure they'll dig more, but the old holes are now filled instead of hidden by tall grass. It's dangerous out there!
After that I went into the shed to get the spreader to spread some grass seed in the bare places but was sidetracked by the messy shed. So I also cleaned and organized the shed as it had gotten cluttered and out of control. Just as I was finishing it started to sprinkle so I grabbed the spreader and got the grass seed down quickly. Perfect timing!
Before all of the hole filling but after the raking I also paved a 72"x24" area with bricks and pavers for our garbage, recycle and yard trash bins. The 3 pavers that were there were used as part of the expanding porch project but we didn't want those bins to sit on the bare ground, plus we had a surplus of free bricks to use so I made a new spot for the bins to sit.
Somewhere in all of this I managed to watch about 6 hours of TV and play World of Warcraft for a few hours as well.
It feels really good to get so much done.
It is all a blur really, I can't remember everything exactly how it happened but the weekend felt long and although I got a lot done I also felt like I had plenty of time to relax and goof off, which I did as well.
Firstly, Honey and I were able to get some regular maintenance things done. The whole house was swept or vacuumed, the dishes were done and some laundry was taken care of. I even washed the dog blanket and the dogs! They got their nails clipped too. Milo doesn't like it but he holds still for me but Mina hates it. The poor thing is terrified so we wrapped her in a towel and Honey held her while I clipped as quickly as possible.
She also killed another squirrel and brought it into the house while we were out grocery shopping. She was barking at it wildly and it hit me funny that she was in the house, barking her head off at a dead squirrel. We also picked up a stray dog and brought him home. It was a little Scottie dog who turned out to be named Bogie. My Aunt and Uncle (they live next door) found his owner while we were off shopping.
I was able to finally get my winter clothes washed and put away for the summer. You may think it is a little too late for that, and although they could have easily gone into storage several months ago, they'll be in there several months still before it cools off again. The laundry process isn't finished. I need to de-wrinkle all the clean warm weather clothes and put them away properly. I think laundry is the bane of my existence.
On Saturday I mowed the front and back yards and Honey edged the driveway. He had gone to get his haircut and jumped in on the lawn maintenance action when he returned.
Yesterday I finished my plans for cleaning up the backyard. Due to the hot summer weather we've had some leaves falling and the yard actually needed to be raked! I was happy the temperature was cool because raking in mid August is just ridiculous. After that I got the hoe and rearranged the dirt around all the holes the dogs have dug. By rearrange I mean I turned the mounds around the holes back into the holes to fill them and level out the ground as best as I could. It isn't perfect, but it is better. I think we'd have to bring in a tiller to level the whole yard now. I'm sure they'll dig more, but the old holes are now filled instead of hidden by tall grass. It's dangerous out there!
After that I went into the shed to get the spreader to spread some grass seed in the bare places but was sidetracked by the messy shed. So I also cleaned and organized the shed as it had gotten cluttered and out of control. Just as I was finishing it started to sprinkle so I grabbed the spreader and got the grass seed down quickly. Perfect timing!
Before all of the hole filling but after the raking I also paved a 72"x24" area with bricks and pavers for our garbage, recycle and yard trash bins. The 3 pavers that were there were used as part of the expanding porch project but we didn't want those bins to sit on the bare ground, plus we had a surplus of free bricks to use so I made a new spot for the bins to sit.
Somewhere in all of this I managed to watch about 6 hours of TV and play World of Warcraft for a few hours as well.
It feels really good to get so much done.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Making Plain Bagels
I work with some people who are from the New England area. When they first arrived they used to go on and on about how much better things were up there than down here. One of the things they've still not gotten used to are the bagels. Apparently bagels from the north are much better than this "hard round bread" we make down here.
So one of these guys comes back from PA last week and in hand he has some northern bagels. He says to me "Hey, come try this." So I did. They were right. Northern bagels are really good. I've never been a big bagel eater anyway, so I've never been offended nor do I care to say that southern bagels are crap beacause compared, they are.
Then I had the idea that maybe I could make good bagels too. So I did a little searching and came up with some recipes to try and set to the task this past Tuesday evening. This is what I came up with.
Step 1
Dissolve 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast in 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a large bowl.
Step 2
Add 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 4 1/4 cups of flour the stir to form a soft dough.
Step 3
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth. It takes about 10 minutes. (This photo was taken after about 7 minutes of kneading. The initial consistency is more dry and broken apart, just keep at it.)
Step 4
Cover the dough with a lint-free towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
Step 5
Flatten the dough, then roll it out to a thickness of one inch, and about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. Cut it into strips 12 inches long and one inch wide.
Step 6
Roll the strip between your hands into a cylinder about one-half inch thick.
Step 7
Cut each cylinder in half crosswise so you have 12, 6 inch pieces.
Step 8
Form each 6 inch piece into a ring, and fold one end over the other pinching it tight to form circles.
Step 9
Cover the bagels again with a towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Step 10
Place the bagels, four at a time, into 16 cups of boiling water.
Step 11
Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes. I turned the bagels over about halfway through the simmering.
Step 12
Remove the bagels and drain well.
Step 13
Place them on baking sheets.
Step 14
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated 375° oven.
Step 15
15 minutes through the baking.
Step 16
Voila!
They're not half bad. They aren't northern bagels though and the only thing that makes them southern are the fact that they were baked from scratch in my Texas kitchen by myself who is born and raised Texan.
So whatever, they're good. I can't impress my work friends with them though I'm sure, but they're feeding me and my honey well enough this week and that's good enough for me.
So one of these guys comes back from PA last week and in hand he has some northern bagels. He says to me "Hey, come try this." So I did. They were right. Northern bagels are really good. I've never been a big bagel eater anyway, so I've never been offended nor do I care to say that southern bagels are crap beacause compared, they are.
Then I had the idea that maybe I could make good bagels too. So I did a little searching and came up with some recipes to try and set to the task this past Tuesday evening. This is what I came up with.
Dissolve 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast in 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a large bowl.
Step 2
Add 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 4 1/4 cups of flour the stir to form a soft dough.
Step 3
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth. It takes about 10 minutes. (This photo was taken after about 7 minutes of kneading. The initial consistency is more dry and broken apart, just keep at it.)
Step 4
Cover the dough with a lint-free towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
Step 5
Flatten the dough, then roll it out to a thickness of one inch, and about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. Cut it into strips 12 inches long and one inch wide.
Step 6
Roll the strip between your hands into a cylinder about one-half inch thick.
Step 7
Cut each cylinder in half crosswise so you have 12, 6 inch pieces.
Step 8
Form each 6 inch piece into a ring, and fold one end over the other pinching it tight to form circles.
Step 9
Cover the bagels again with a towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Step 10
Place the bagels, four at a time, into 16 cups of boiling water.
Step 11
Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes. I turned the bagels over about halfway through the simmering.
Step 12
Remove the bagels and drain well.
Step 13
Place them on baking sheets.
Step 14
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated 375° oven.
Step 15
15 minutes through the baking.
Step 16
Voila!
They're not half bad. They aren't northern bagels though and the only thing that makes them southern are the fact that they were baked from scratch in my Texas kitchen by myself who is born and raised Texan.
So whatever, they're good. I can't impress my work friends with them though I'm sure, but they're feeding me and my honey well enough this week and that's good enough for me.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday
Developers have bought several lots and old houses in our neighborhood and plan to demolish them and build brand new "better" homes. 2 of those houses have already been demolished, one of which sits right behind our house. Since they've torn that house down we've had a clear view of the main, busiest road that runs through the neighborhood. That clear view of so much activity has set our little Mina to barking. A lot apparently.
So we were informed of this, since we don't hear it much being gone all day, and a suggestion was made to put up a fence. We pondered the idea and decided, "Yea, we don't much like seeing that traffic either, and we certainly don't want a building crew to see all of our backyard business plus we of course don't want to bother our neighbors with our little barking dog."
The suggestion also came with information about cheap bamboo fencing that would easily be installed against our existing chain link fence. So we setout yesterday to acquire said fencing and the work commenced.
Most of the work involved clearing all of the English Ivy and Honeysuckle off of the existing fence, not to mention other sundry plants.
We did most of the clearing in the morning and then I got a wild hair and drug us out there at 5pm to start putting up the fence.
We put up the first section and took a step back to see how it looked and to see if you could see through it easily. We were disappointed to notice that yes, you can see straight through it as if it weren't even there. So the whole reason we bought the damn thing in the first place was immediately thwarted.
However, we decided we liked the way it looked, so we continued the installation. The 4th section is much longer than we need to finish the length of the fence so our plan is to cut the remainder off and then in half to install a second layer across the bottom. That should help and prevent Mina from seeing through. We may back that second layer with a more opaque material to make sure she can't see through.
Regardless, we're happy with the fence. We think it looks cleaner and eventually we hope that the English Ivy will grow back and cover it more fully so we'll have more of a plant life fence than a blank bamboo fence.
So we were informed of this, since we don't hear it much being gone all day, and a suggestion was made to put up a fence. We pondered the idea and decided, "Yea, we don't much like seeing that traffic either, and we certainly don't want a building crew to see all of our backyard business plus we of course don't want to bother our neighbors with our little barking dog."
The suggestion also came with information about cheap bamboo fencing that would easily be installed against our existing chain link fence. So we setout yesterday to acquire said fencing and the work commenced.
Most of the work involved clearing all of the English Ivy and Honeysuckle off of the existing fence, not to mention other sundry plants.
We did most of the clearing in the morning and then I got a wild hair and drug us out there at 5pm to start putting up the fence.
We put up the first section and took a step back to see how it looked and to see if you could see through it easily. We were disappointed to notice that yes, you can see straight through it as if it weren't even there. So the whole reason we bought the damn thing in the first place was immediately thwarted.
However, we decided we liked the way it looked, so we continued the installation. The 4th section is much longer than we need to finish the length of the fence so our plan is to cut the remainder off and then in half to install a second layer across the bottom. That should help and prevent Mina from seeing through. We may back that second layer with a more opaque material to make sure she can't see through.
Regardless, we're happy with the fence. We think it looks cleaner and eventually we hope that the English Ivy will grow back and cover it more fully so we'll have more of a plant life fence than a blank bamboo fence.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
A Cool August Day
When I went outside for lunch I thought, "Oh it's kind of cool today." When I was able, I checked the temprature and found it was 96°.
That's pretty bad when you feel "cool" at 96°.
It is nice, regardless. Now for more rain!
That's pretty bad when you feel "cool" at 96°.
It is nice, regardless. Now for more rain!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sweet Glorious Rain!
I went outside at 6:25am this morning and it seemed a bit darker than usual. In my foggy state I just thought "well, the days do get shorter" but then I heard thunder. I looked up to see a nice coverage of gray rain clouds blowing around in the sky.
I went in to watch the news and saw this wonderful line of rain working it's way across the west side of 820 and toward my house. By the time I left for work the ground was wet and there was a light sprinkle.
HOORAY!
It pretty much rained on me all the way to work but the coolest part was as I merged to a northbound route from eastbound I realized I was centered between big bright sunshine on the right and super dark rain clouds on the left. It was quite a site to see the buildings all lit up in the sunshine with the dark cloudy backdrop.
Then I saw a full arched rainbow shining colorfully against that dark background.
It was wonderful!
I went in to watch the news and saw this wonderful line of rain working it's way across the west side of 820 and toward my house. By the time I left for work the ground was wet and there was a light sprinkle.
HOORAY!
It pretty much rained on me all the way to work but the coolest part was as I merged to a northbound route from eastbound I realized I was centered between big bright sunshine on the right and super dark rain clouds on the left. It was quite a site to see the buildings all lit up in the sunshine with the dark cloudy backdrop.
Then I saw a full arched rainbow shining colorfully against that dark background.
It was wonderful!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Long Vacation
Well I've been on vacation since the 19th and I'm back to work today. I spent last week at my parents' house on the lake and I am SORE. It's all good though. Being sore from tubing is awesome. I have at least 7 bruises too. As Dad said, "Living on the lake is hard." :)
I feel like I need to get back to business now. My head is full of projects, to-do lists and ideas. I'm going to write it all down to make more sense of it so I can empty my head a bit and get more organized.
There is still a lot to do in the house:
* It occurred to me this morning that we have a ton more storage space in the kitchen than I realized. There's a space on top of the cabinets where my grandmother kept her cookie jars. We've got lots of dishes we don't use everyday, along with smaller appliances that will fit up there nicely. So the kitchen will need some reorganizing.
* The bedroom needs to be finished in regards of painting. I also need to thin out my clothes and pack away the winter things. I should have done that months ago but it will be hot for many months more so I still think it will be a good idea to get those things put away.
* The hallway needs some major touchups. The paint peeled really badly when we pulled the tape off of the molding.
* The dining room hasn't even been started even though we have the paint colors chosen and bought.
* There are boxes in the living room that still have stuff in them that need to be dealt with. I'll be weeding through those again to donate some things that I thought I wanted to keep a few months ago when we went through them the first time.
* The closed in porch area is looking ratty again too. Things get stashed in there too easily. I want to make that room nicer. To brighten it up, I even thought about painting the wood paneling. We also need to finish the laundry area. The pipes are and dryer duct is an eyesore and we have plans to add shelves in there to hide them and also be useful for laundry needs.
And then there is the yard. This is all just stuff that needs to be done. I haven't even gotten to all of the things I want to do for me. There are a myriad of things I want to learn, I'd love to get a real garden going, install a rain water collection system and start a compost pile. I also just bought a bunch of patterns to make clothes, some for everyday wear and some for belly dance costuming. I've also got the urge to start being creative again with painting and drawing.
Oh yeah and I'd also got to find the time to loose 70lbs and change my entire eating lifestyle.
Some days this all overwhelms me and other days I'm glad I've got the energy and passion to want to do so many things. This is where the list and good planning comes in so I can take things one day at a time and eventually I'll get some things done that need to be done and along the way, do other things that I want to do.
No wonder I'm so tired at the end of the day. My brain is full tilt.
I feel like I need to get back to business now. My head is full of projects, to-do lists and ideas. I'm going to write it all down to make more sense of it so I can empty my head a bit and get more organized.
There is still a lot to do in the house:
* It occurred to me this morning that we have a ton more storage space in the kitchen than I realized. There's a space on top of the cabinets where my grandmother kept her cookie jars. We've got lots of dishes we don't use everyday, along with smaller appliances that will fit up there nicely. So the kitchen will need some reorganizing.
* The bedroom needs to be finished in regards of painting. I also need to thin out my clothes and pack away the winter things. I should have done that months ago but it will be hot for many months more so I still think it will be a good idea to get those things put away.
* The hallway needs some major touchups. The paint peeled really badly when we pulled the tape off of the molding.
* The dining room hasn't even been started even though we have the paint colors chosen and bought.
* There are boxes in the living room that still have stuff in them that need to be dealt with. I'll be weeding through those again to donate some things that I thought I wanted to keep a few months ago when we went through them the first time.
* The closed in porch area is looking ratty again too. Things get stashed in there too easily. I want to make that room nicer. To brighten it up, I even thought about painting the wood paneling. We also need to finish the laundry area. The pipes are and dryer duct is an eyesore and we have plans to add shelves in there to hide them and also be useful for laundry needs.
And then there is the yard. This is all just stuff that needs to be done. I haven't even gotten to all of the things I want to do for me. There are a myriad of things I want to learn, I'd love to get a real garden going, install a rain water collection system and start a compost pile. I also just bought a bunch of patterns to make clothes, some for everyday wear and some for belly dance costuming. I've also got the urge to start being creative again with painting and drawing.
Oh yeah and I'd also got to find the time to loose 70lbs and change my entire eating lifestyle.
Some days this all overwhelms me and other days I'm glad I've got the energy and passion to want to do so many things. This is where the list and good planning comes in so I can take things one day at a time and eventually I'll get some things done that need to be done and along the way, do other things that I want to do.
No wonder I'm so tired at the end of the day. My brain is full tilt.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Update
We got a couple of things done this weekend.
First, I remembered that my Aunt told me she had an abundance of Lily Turf next to her garage. She said I could have as much as I wanted, so I returned the 5 I bought from Lowe's earlier last week. I'm thrilled to be able to use free plants!
Secondly, I went ahead with laying the small pavers and planting the Mexican Petunias. I'll transplant the Lily Turfs in the near future.
Thirdly, we spent an hour outside laying the first row of extension we have planned for the existing porch. This row is made up of 4 2'x2' pavers that match the porch that my grandmother had laid many years back. The rest of the pavers to follow are 16"x16". We have them but it'll be a few more weekends before we're done with that project.
Slowly but surely!
First, I remembered that my Aunt told me she had an abundance of Lily Turf next to her garage. She said I could have as much as I wanted, so I returned the 5 I bought from Lowe's earlier last week. I'm thrilled to be able to use free plants!
Secondly, I went ahead with laying the small pavers and planting the Mexican Petunias. I'll transplant the Lily Turfs in the near future.
Thirdly, we spent an hour outside laying the first row of extension we have planned for the existing porch. This row is made up of 4 2'x2' pavers that match the porch that my grandmother had laid many years back. The rest of the pavers to follow are 16"x16". We have them but it'll be a few more weekends before we're done with that project.
Slowly but surely!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Gardening
Oh holy cow. I thought the gardening bug already bit me but I was wrong. Earlier this year I bought a book about garden designs in Texas. I looked at it initially and thought it was a great book with great ideas but for some reason none of it really stuck.
I picked it up again this week and man oh man do I get it now! I've realized that most of the plants I bought at last year's plant sale (at the botanical gardens) are perfect for Texas. Most of them are used in this book's layouts and most of them are perennial. That's what I wanted! I bought stuff willy nilly last year and this year I'm learning that they are exactly what I should have bought. Also most of the bulbs that were existing in the yard that need to be thinned are mentioned in the book too, so I've got an abundant supply of the perfect plants to transplant and put in new beds.
You'd think that I would already know that the plants that have done great in my yard are great for Texas, but to be validated by this book just lights me right up. I've got garden designs flying all over my brain and I'm already trying to figure out how to adjust my budget for the fall sale that I know is coming.
In the meantime though, I did buy some plants for the bed I started earlier this year. I had to get those irises in the ground but after I did, I didn't mulch and other than watering, didn't do any more tending to them. So this past weekend I cleared out all of the weeds and mulched the hell out of it.
So far this week I've bought 12 long skinny pavers to put between the mulch and the curb so if it rains the mulch won't wash away. I also bought 5 Lilyturfs and 4 Mexican Petunias. The Petunias will go around the front of the light post and the Lilyturfs will go around the back side. I'll adjust the existing irises back and more clumped together.
I'll update with pictures after Sunday!
I picked it up again this week and man oh man do I get it now! I've realized that most of the plants I bought at last year's plant sale (at the botanical gardens) are perfect for Texas. Most of them are used in this book's layouts and most of them are perennial. That's what I wanted! I bought stuff willy nilly last year and this year I'm learning that they are exactly what I should have bought. Also most of the bulbs that were existing in the yard that need to be thinned are mentioned in the book too, so I've got an abundant supply of the perfect plants to transplant and put in new beds.
You'd think that I would already know that the plants that have done great in my yard are great for Texas, but to be validated by this book just lights me right up. I've got garden designs flying all over my brain and I'm already trying to figure out how to adjust my budget for the fall sale that I know is coming.
In the meantime though, I did buy some plants for the bed I started earlier this year. I had to get those irises in the ground but after I did, I didn't mulch and other than watering, didn't do any more tending to them. So this past weekend I cleared out all of the weeds and mulched the hell out of it.
So far this week I've bought 12 long skinny pavers to put between the mulch and the curb so if it rains the mulch won't wash away. I also bought 5 Lilyturfs and 4 Mexican Petunias. The Petunias will go around the front of the light post and the Lilyturfs will go around the back side. I'll adjust the existing irises back and more clumped together.
I'll update with pictures after Sunday!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Got Some Things Done
Minus some curtains, curtain rods and hanging the mirrors the red room is done! The mirrors are in there though leaned up against the walls. We'll have to hang them later. The curtains and rods are all cosmetic so that will come in time. I should have taken pictures already but I moved my sewing stuff in there to work on a costume and I don't want those things in the photos.
Speaking of my sewing stuff, I have a table, machine and 3 cases/boxes full of sewing supplies that my grandmother gave me. It is so nice to have everything I need and I didn't have to buy any of it! There are things in one of those boxes that I still haven't figure what they are.
I figured out how to thread the machine and I worked on a costume I started well over a year ago. Most of the skirt is done now and I am highly impressed with myself considering I've never made anything from scratch and it is actually coming out as I envisioned it. I think the true test will be how I make some pants and a top using a store bought pattern.
I hope it all turns out okay and doesn't look too bad when I'm done!
Speaking of my sewing stuff, I have a table, machine and 3 cases/boxes full of sewing supplies that my grandmother gave me. It is so nice to have everything I need and I didn't have to buy any of it! There are things in one of those boxes that I still haven't figure what they are.
I figured out how to thread the machine and I worked on a costume I started well over a year ago. Most of the skirt is done now and I am highly impressed with myself considering I've never made anything from scratch and it is actually coming out as I envisioned it. I think the true test will be how I make some pants and a top using a store bought pattern.
I hope it all turns out okay and doesn't look too bad when I'm done!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Back on Track
Well we were going really good there with progress on the house and yard for a while then everything seemed to come to a screeching halt.
We've both been down and out for various reasons over the past 2 weekends plus the weekend before last was Father's Day and my Dad's birthday, so I spent Sunday at my folks' house for those festivities.
This coming weekend is open though and I HAVE to get the red room cleared out so I can start practicing a routine for the August belly dance show. I should actually do that before the weekend. We've also still got those pavers we bought just loosely stacked here and there in the yard waiting to be put down. I think we should lay at least one row down and get that process rolling.
The yard needs to be mowed and I've got weeds to pull plus some cleanup from a recent rain storm. There is also the stuff in the living room that is the last remaining remnants from the move that we started working on and now it's just sitting there collecting dust.
I think I'll work out a "to-do" list this week to give us a bit of a schedule to work from and prioritize it so we (read I) don't get overwhelmed. Oh yea and the fish tank needs so serious love.
In other news, I have cucumbers! I've counted 4 that have sprouted this week. 3 of them are pollinated and growing and the 4th still doesn't have a full open female flower, so I'll see how that one goes. Most of the carrots also look good and now that the weather has turned hotter the okra is starting to take off. I think we'll get some out of those sad little plants after all.
I'm not sure I mentioned it but the watermelon plant isn't actually a watermelon plant. It's another cucumber plant, so, there ya go. I have cucumbers x cucumbers + carrots, okra and zucchini. Oh that one is doing well too. Maybe not as good as it should but the flowers are starting to open so I think it is going to be fine. I might have over watered it but I think it's bouncing back now that I've backed off.
So! Back to it! There's plenty to do.
We've both been down and out for various reasons over the past 2 weekends plus the weekend before last was Father's Day and my Dad's birthday, so I spent Sunday at my folks' house for those festivities.
This coming weekend is open though and I HAVE to get the red room cleared out so I can start practicing a routine for the August belly dance show. I should actually do that before the weekend. We've also still got those pavers we bought just loosely stacked here and there in the yard waiting to be put down. I think we should lay at least one row down and get that process rolling.
The yard needs to be mowed and I've got weeds to pull plus some cleanup from a recent rain storm. There is also the stuff in the living room that is the last remaining remnants from the move that we started working on and now it's just sitting there collecting dust.
I think I'll work out a "to-do" list this week to give us a bit of a schedule to work from and prioritize it so we (read I) don't get overwhelmed. Oh yea and the fish tank needs so serious love.
In other news, I have cucumbers! I've counted 4 that have sprouted this week. 3 of them are pollinated and growing and the 4th still doesn't have a full open female flower, so I'll see how that one goes. Most of the carrots also look good and now that the weather has turned hotter the okra is starting to take off. I think we'll get some out of those sad little plants after all.
I'm not sure I mentioned it but the watermelon plant isn't actually a watermelon plant. It's another cucumber plant, so, there ya go. I have cucumbers x cucumbers + carrots, okra and zucchini. Oh that one is doing well too. Maybe not as good as it should but the flowers are starting to open so I think it is going to be fine. I might have over watered it but I think it's bouncing back now that I've backed off.
So! Back to it! There's plenty to do.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Weekends
Well I've been waiting to blog until I have pictures to post with it but I keep forgetting to take pictures of things so this time I'll just talk about the couple of things we've done over the past 2 weekends.
Last weekend my Uncle and I put in a border around the okra he has planted and made an area for the carrot seeds I bought. It's just a small L shaped area next to their house but it needed a border and it needed all of the weeds removed. Honey and I also went and picked up some free compost to spread in there as well.
This past weekend little carrot sprouts were showing! I knew it only took a week or so but it is still exciting when you see the little greenery poking through. Honey and I also went and bought the remaining pavers we needed to finish out the patio project. I'm not sure when we'll get to that but at least we now have the materials we need.
Also late yesterday afternoon we adjusted the water hose situation in the front lawn. We attached 2 new soaker hoses to the existing one and ran them around the "beds" in the front then attached a regular hose to the splitter so the regular sprinkler could be attached to it. Now my water process in the front is easier.
That's about it. Just a little done here and there. :)
Last weekend my Uncle and I put in a border around the okra he has planted and made an area for the carrot seeds I bought. It's just a small L shaped area next to their house but it needed a border and it needed all of the weeds removed. Honey and I also went and picked up some free compost to spread in there as well.
This past weekend little carrot sprouts were showing! I knew it only took a week or so but it is still exciting when you see the little greenery poking through. Honey and I also went and bought the remaining pavers we needed to finish out the patio project. I'm not sure when we'll get to that but at least we now have the materials we need.
Also late yesterday afternoon we adjusted the water hose situation in the front lawn. We attached 2 new soaker hoses to the existing one and ran them around the "beds" in the front then attached a regular hose to the splitter so the regular sprinkler could be attached to it. Now my water process in the front is easier.
That's about it. Just a little done here and there. :)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Home Outside
Oi. The yard.
Where do I start? I've done a lot to it in the last year. The first thing I did last April was prune and clear all the overgrowth in the back yard. That was a full day's worth of work and my first time at doing it. My hands were so sore the next day.
I planted a couple of lantanas back there too in August I think.
Shortly after that we moved in and the dogs moved in mid way through September. The lantanas didn't last through the end of the year. That's when I realized all my gardening would have to take place in the front yard. However, I noticed a couple of days ago, one of the lantanas is coming back. I'm going to dig it up and move it before the dogs destroy it again.
Last fall I bought a ton of plants and put new beds in around the red oaks out front.
Before
After
I plopped in a few other plants in blank holes and pruned the crap out of all the small boxwoods, one of the hollies and the two nandina clusters. A few weeks later I took out one entire boxwood and pruned the other holly next to it.
This spring I've hacked (severely pruned) the 3 remaining boxwoods off the front porch. They were massive. Now they aren't and they have pretty beds around them with flowers and plants for company.
Before
Hard to see After
I also pruned the pomegranate tree but it needs much more.
When I put in the beds around the boxwoods I also planted 3 vegetable sprouts. I have a zucchini, cucumber and watermelon plant. Last weekend I moved them to the ground and have been babying sitting them since. They need a lot more water than I expected.
Zucchini
Cucumber
Watermelon
Also a couple of weeks ago I added a new bed around the block light post and planted irises. They're looking hot and tired. I hope they make it.
I've got a ton of bulbs around the southeast side of the house. Amaryllis, iris and jonquils. They will all need to be thinned and separated this fall for next year's bloom. They were all there when we moved in and haven't been thinned in years.
We have plans to extend the beds around the entire front of the house as well as adding in a raised bed right in front. I hope to have that project done before the year is out. It'll take time though but that's okay, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
In the back, instead of planting, we're adding on to the porch. We'll be extending the existing 8x8 porch out another 12 feet to make it 8x20. It will enclose the two crepe myrtles that are there.
I also added a small brick pad just inside the gate so we'd have somewhere to step instead of the dirt or mud.
Before
After
One day soon I hope to get a sandbox out back for the dogs to dig in so I can reclaim my backyard and grow the grass back in where it's been destroyed. Leveling out the holes and hills that have been created will be what I'm most looking forward to. Mowing back there is hazardous to twisting ankle health!
It's all a never ending, yard changing saga. I love every second of it.
Where do I start? I've done a lot to it in the last year. The first thing I did last April was prune and clear all the overgrowth in the back yard. That was a full day's worth of work and my first time at doing it. My hands were so sore the next day.
I planted a couple of lantanas back there too in August I think.
Shortly after that we moved in and the dogs moved in mid way through September. The lantanas didn't last through the end of the year. That's when I realized all my gardening would have to take place in the front yard. However, I noticed a couple of days ago, one of the lantanas is coming back. I'm going to dig it up and move it before the dogs destroy it again.
Last fall I bought a ton of plants and put new beds in around the red oaks out front.
After
I plopped in a few other plants in blank holes and pruned the crap out of all the small boxwoods, one of the hollies and the two nandina clusters. A few weeks later I took out one entire boxwood and pruned the other holly next to it.
This spring I've hacked (severely pruned) the 3 remaining boxwoods off the front porch. They were massive. Now they aren't and they have pretty beds around them with flowers and plants for company.
Hard to see After
I also pruned the pomegranate tree but it needs much more.
When I put in the beds around the boxwoods I also planted 3 vegetable sprouts. I have a zucchini, cucumber and watermelon plant. Last weekend I moved them to the ground and have been babying sitting them since. They need a lot more water than I expected.
Cucumber
Watermelon
Also a couple of weeks ago I added a new bed around the block light post and planted irises. They're looking hot and tired. I hope they make it.
I've got a ton of bulbs around the southeast side of the house. Amaryllis, iris and jonquils. They will all need to be thinned and separated this fall for next year's bloom. They were all there when we moved in and haven't been thinned in years.
We have plans to extend the beds around the entire front of the house as well as adding in a raised bed right in front. I hope to have that project done before the year is out. It'll take time though but that's okay, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
In the back, instead of planting, we're adding on to the porch. We'll be extending the existing 8x8 porch out another 12 feet to make it 8x20. It will enclose the two crepe myrtles that are there.
I also added a small brick pad just inside the gate so we'd have somewhere to step instead of the dirt or mud.
After
One day soon I hope to get a sandbox out back for the dogs to dig in so I can reclaim my backyard and grow the grass back in where it's been destroyed. Leveling out the holes and hills that have been created will be what I'm most looking forward to. Mowing back there is hazardous to twisting ankle health!
It's all a never ending, yard changing saga. I love every second of it.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Fleas, Ticks, Tapeworms! OH MY!
'Tis the season. Since our winters normally aren't cold enough to wipe out the critters, flea season starts early and can get bad quickly. Fortunately none of our pets have ticks.
Honey took the cats³ to the vet yesterday for a general check up and any shots they may have needed. Miss Stormy had a tapeworm. We knew this going in, or at least that was my assumption and with the fleas so bad right now I figured that is exactly what it was. He said the trip was smooth and none of them have ear mites.
Thunder weighs just over 13 lbs.
Lightning weighs just less than 13 lbs
and Storm weighs just over 11 lbs.
They gave Storm a shot for the tape worm and then they sent Honey home with pills similar to the ones the dogs² get once a month. They also gave us super duty flea drops to put on their backs. We had tried 4 different types of treatments before this with none working. The vet said this season is especially bad (don't they say that every year?) and that the crap you buy at the store never works when it gets like this.
Mina
Milo
I hope what we have now works because those poor pups (in particularly) have been itching and scratching for weeks! I'm super glad we have pills to give the cats once a month now too. I had no idea they made those. I always thought they only had the ones for dogs to prevent heart worms.
Hooray for healthy beasties!
Honey took the cats³ to the vet yesterday for a general check up and any shots they may have needed. Miss Stormy had a tapeworm. We knew this going in, or at least that was my assumption and with the fleas so bad right now I figured that is exactly what it was. He said the trip was smooth and none of them have ear mites.
Thunder weighs just over 13 lbs.
Lightning weighs just less than 13 lbs
and Storm weighs just over 11 lbs.
They gave Storm a shot for the tape worm and then they sent Honey home with pills similar to the ones the dogs² get once a month. They also gave us super duty flea drops to put on their backs. We had tried 4 different types of treatments before this with none working. The vet said this season is especially bad (don't they say that every year?) and that the crap you buy at the store never works when it gets like this.
Mina
Milo
I hope what we have now works because those poor pups (in particularly) have been itching and scratching for weeks! I'm super glad we have pills to give the cats once a month now too. I had no idea they made those. I always thought they only had the ones for dogs to prevent heart worms.
Hooray for healthy beasties!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Long Time no Blog
I have been cuh-RAZY busy. A lot has happened in the last year. I'll try to be brief.
Mostly the news is about a house. Our house. Yes, we finally got a house. My grandmother decided it was too much for her so she moved into a home last spring (2007) and is selling us her house.
All of last spring and summer was spent helping her work through her things. We donated a ton, gave just as much away and then helped her move what she wanted to keep. After that we started painting. Our lease was going to be up in September so we wanted to get the house the way we wanted it before the move.
We painted 3 rooms and a hallway and pulled up carpet in 2 rooms and the hallway. We still aren't finished with the painting but that's okay. We'll be there a while.
Anyway, so we moved in last September and since then we've been adjusting to the differences in living in a house instead of an apartment. There are a lot more things that need taken care of as I'm sure many of you know. I love it though. I've planted, pruned, dug up, transplanted and landscaped so much in the last 9 months.
We still haven't perfected keeping a larger space clean though. That's an on going process at this point.
Well I'll wrap this up for now. Many more posts will follow with more details about the house, yard, life and everything in between.
Mostly the news is about a house. Our house. Yes, we finally got a house. My grandmother decided it was too much for her so she moved into a home last spring (2007) and is selling us her house.
All of last spring and summer was spent helping her work through her things. We donated a ton, gave just as much away and then helped her move what she wanted to keep. After that we started painting. Our lease was going to be up in September so we wanted to get the house the way we wanted it before the move.
We painted 3 rooms and a hallway and pulled up carpet in 2 rooms and the hallway. We still aren't finished with the painting but that's okay. We'll be there a while.
Anyway, so we moved in last September and since then we've been adjusting to the differences in living in a house instead of an apartment. There are a lot more things that need taken care of as I'm sure many of you know. I love it though. I've planted, pruned, dug up, transplanted and landscaped so much in the last 9 months.
We still haven't perfected keeping a larger space clean though. That's an on going process at this point.
Well I'll wrap this up for now. Many more posts will follow with more details about the house, yard, life and everything in between.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Bento Boxes - My Newest Fascination
Well it's been along time and I've got alot I could say but I think I'll just stick to bento boxes for the moment.
I heard about them for the first time in early March by the end of March I had one of my very own. :)
They make lunch time a little brighter some days.
Incase you have no idea what I'm talking about...
Wikipedia's Description
They come in all shapes, styles and sizes are fun to put together and a joy to delve into when it is time to eat.
I recently bought a few items to make the foods in my bento more fun (egg molds, shaped cutters, etc.) I'm still waiting for them to come in the mail but have continued to use my bento box for lunch.
There is even a whole flickr group dedicated to them.
Flickr's Bento Box Group
What fun!
I heard about them for the first time in early March by the end of March I had one of my very own. :)
They make lunch time a little brighter some days.
Incase you have no idea what I'm talking about...
Wikipedia's Description
They come in all shapes, styles and sizes are fun to put together and a joy to delve into when it is time to eat.
I recently bought a few items to make the foods in my bento more fun (egg molds, shaped cutters, etc.) I'm still waiting for them to come in the mail but have continued to use my bento box for lunch.
There is even a whole flickr group dedicated to them.
Flickr's Bento Box Group
What fun!
My Blog Worth
My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?
Well that sucks. I guess since I never post anymore it makes sense. BUT I AM gonna post in a few minutes... so... ;) Maybe it'll be worth something soon.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Wow, I Did It!
October 27th, 28th & 29th - 3 days I will never forget.
The actual mileage for the event ended up being 56.1 miles. I walked 29 of it. I couldn't be happier with myself for my accomplishment. Here's a link to my 3Day Photos. And below is the best I can do to describe what it's like to participate in an event like this.
When people say it will change your life, they don’t really explain how and until you do it you can’t imagine how. I’ll do my best to describe it because it really had absolutely nothing to do with being affected by everything that comes with breast cancer or any illness for that matter.
It was the whole collective consciousness of doing something good and right. There were 3000-ish people all together, doing the same thing for the same reasons. You can’t grasp the positive energy that comes with that many people doing something like that for 3 whole days. Everyone and I mean EVERY.ONE. was nice, pleasant, happy, supportive, encouraging and using every ounce of energy they had to walk. And if they weren’t walking they used every ounce of energy they had to support those who were. And the ones who were walking used every ounce of energy they had to support those who were supporting us. It was absolutely amazing.
Everyone thanked us for walking, we thanked ourselves and each other for walking, and all the walkers thanked everyone who wasn’t walking for doing whatever it was they were doing. Thank you for helping us cross the street. Thank you for serving me food. Thank you for bringing us toilet paper. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for cheering us on. Thank you for playing this music to keep us going. Thank you for stopping to pick me up because I can walk no more.
And when it wasn’t thank yous, it was please, and good morning, and how are you? Do you need encouragement? You can do it! YAY!! GO WALKERS! Have a sticker! YAY! Here’s some water! You’re doing great! People driving by honking horns and waving, kids yelling “Thank you!” from the back seat of their family’s car. Constant encouragement, constant gratitude.
It was the hardest, most fulfilling thing I've ever done.
It was the world we all want to live in, for 3 whole days.
It was absolutely incredible.
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