So I'm at the 'rents house. We left NC on Thursday afternoon and arrived on Friday night. This means I survived a 2 day car trip - a truly signifigant and amazing thing. The only thing more amazing is that I'll have to do it again next week. Oof. Trying not to think about that.
Anywoo, I don't have my laptop with me & can't upload any photos, so like the rest of the blogospere I'm going to abandon the internet for a bit and enjoy real life for a change. Hooray! Hope you all are safe and warm and enjoying your holidays!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Dining Room: After
On Saturday afternoon I made a roast chicken with potatoes for lunch. While everything was cooking, I started cleaning up the dining room with the idea that we could eat lunch in there. The chicken was ready before the room, but that's okay. The point is that by Saturday afternoon, we finally - FINALLY - had our dining room back. Here's what it looks like now. And I must say that I am in LOVE. My love for this room now surpasses my adoration of my washing machine. Didn't think that could happen, didja.The sad truth is that, for months now, the only table we've eaten around is the coffee table. We haven't even had friends over because we had no place to put them. Well, we did feed Kevein and Shawna in the living room that one time, but it was a bit of a headache. But those days are behind us now! We wasted no time in taking advantage of our new dining room. On Sunday night, Kevin and Shawna came over for dinner, video games, and a movie (the last in the Bourne series. The four of us have been catching up on them together). Very fun & a great way to break in the new room. And they were impressed by how nicely it turned out. Yay!
The other great thing is that we now have our breakfast nook back, too. For months it has been crammed with furniture from other places, but no more! Now we have two proper tables where we can eat! Will the wonders ever cease?!?!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Painting madness: Success!
This, my friends, it what is commonly known as a vast improvement.
This is a before & after shot all in one. Above the chair rail is the original color. Below it is the new lovely green. I think the old color looks a lot better in this photo than it does in reality. Just please believe me when I say that it was foul.
And here's a bit of what the dining room looks like now!
I still have some work to do on the ceilings so I can't completely remove the rosin paper yet, but I thought I'd pull back a corner just to see how the wood looks with the green. Don't worry about the white stuff on the floor to the right; that is NOT paint! It's leftover dust from when I scraped the ceiling.
Speaking of Scooby Do, I ordered a rug off of Overstock.com. My hope is to put it in the living room. I'm a bit nervous, though, since I wasn't able to touch it first, but Laura says that she's bought tons of stuff on Overstock before & has always been happy with her purchases. Fingers crossed!
And speaking of Laura, I went to her house on Wednesday and met a bunch of REALLY wonderful ladies! A couple of them asked me if I'd be interested in having lunch with them sometime which thrilled me to bits. Two others have invited me to their home to watch Project Runway. And Laura and I decided to organize a tea party at a local tea house for sometime after the holidays. Talk about a successful evening! I'm especially thrilled because it means that I have something to look forward to after returning from Oklahoma at the end of the month. Leaving "home" & returning here can be so difficult for me, but I think me new-found friends will make it easier.
Must run. Tim's work place's holiday party is tonight & I need to make sure there's no more paint stuck in my hair.
This is a before & after shot all in one. Above the chair rail is the original color. Below it is the new lovely green. I think the old color looks a lot better in this photo than it does in reality. Just please believe me when I say that it was foul.
And here's a bit of what the dining room looks like now!
I still have some work to do on the ceilings so I can't completely remove the rosin paper yet, but I thought I'd pull back a corner just to see how the wood looks with the green. Don't worry about the white stuff on the floor to the right; that is NOT paint! It's leftover dust from when I scraped the ceiling.
Speaking of Scooby Do, I ordered a rug off of Overstock.com. My hope is to put it in the living room. I'm a bit nervous, though, since I wasn't able to touch it first, but Laura says that she's bought tons of stuff on Overstock before & has always been happy with her purchases. Fingers crossed!
And speaking of Laura, I went to her house on Wednesday and met a bunch of REALLY wonderful ladies! A couple of them asked me if I'd be interested in having lunch with them sometime which thrilled me to bits. Two others have invited me to their home to watch Project Runway. And Laura and I decided to organize a tea party at a local tea house for sometime after the holidays. Talk about a successful evening! I'm especially thrilled because it means that I have something to look forward to after returning from Oklahoma at the end of the month. Leaving "home" & returning here can be so difficult for me, but I think me new-found friends will make it easier.
Must run. Tim's work place's holiday party is tonight & I need to make sure there's no more paint stuck in my hair.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Painting madness: Buying!
I made a decision. I bought paint! Wee!!! I was inspired by a video I watched on the TED website about the paradox of choice ( Click here to watch it ). Basically, he talks about how sometimes when we have too many options, we become paralyzed & cannot decide which choice is right for us because we're so worried about getting it wrong. If you've ever been to a home improvement store & stood in front of a wall of paint chips, you can understand why this message resonated with me. So I just said, "Screw it! I'm buying paint!" Maybe I'll start working on the dining room tonight. We'll see.
In other news, the weather madness continues. My parents & about 600,000 other people in the Tulsa area still do not have power. Dad says that most of their trees are damaged. At least George and Derek still have power ... or at least they did when I spoke to Derek last night.
On the other side of the coin, it has been extremely warm here. Yesterday's high was 81F - an all-time high for the entire month of December. And here's the forecast for the rest of the week.
It's suposed to be much cooler this weekend, so I better get all of this painting done quickly!
In other news, the weather madness continues. My parents & about 600,000 other people in the Tulsa area still do not have power. Dad says that most of their trees are damaged. At least George and Derek still have power ... or at least they did when I spoke to Derek last night.
On the other side of the coin, it has been extremely warm here. Yesterday's high was 81F - an all-time high for the entire month of December. And here's the forecast for the rest of the week.
It's suposed to be much cooler this weekend, so I better get all of this painting done quickly!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Painting madness: Testing
My mother called this morning to let me know that they have no electricity at their house. An ice storm hit Green Country last night & she is trapped at home with nothing to do but watch the icicles grow.
Meanwhile, it is unseasonably warm here. Check out the weather forecast for Raleigh & Durham this week.
Madness! Yesterday we went to the Durham Chorale's Christmas Concert (Jennifer was singing) and it was so warm that we didn't need jackets. Some members of the audience were wearing shorts. Granted, I'm grateful for the warm weather because it means I can get a lot of painting done this week, but it certainly doesn't feel Christmas-y.
Speaking of painting, we tested some colors this weekend. I am in love with Oklahoma Wheat! Or rather, "Safari". You see, there's a particular type of paint that I want to use (Benjamin Moore's Aura). It's very durable, washable, & has low fumes. In the Aura line, Oklahoma Wheat is known as Safari. It's the same color (the paint chips look exactly the same) so I'm just going to keep on thinking of it as Oklahoma Wheat.
Anyway!
I put some patches of it in the living room, downstairs hallway, and upstairs hallway. It looks 1000% better than the dreary beigey-lavender-grey that we currently have all over the place. It's warm and homey, while also feeling light. It's yellow, but it isn't YELLOW, if ya know what I mean. The house is going to feel so much happier & more welcoming when we're done. I can't wait!
Meanwhile in the dining room, we're tinkering with different shades of green. We've tested 3 so far & found a lighter green that Tim likes (Croquet - the color on the right in these photos), but I'm afraid it has a little too much grey in it. Honestly, I'm so sick of looking at paint that I feel an urge to just paint that room Oklahoma Wheat, too. Kevin & Shawna were over on Saturday night & we asked them what they thought. Kevin was noncommital. Shawna said shes like the old color. Clearly these people cannot be trusted.
Maybe I should look at the other side of the color wheel. A part of me thinks that a warm pink could be a great color for a dining room. Or not. Hmm.
Meanwhile, it is unseasonably warm here. Check out the weather forecast for Raleigh & Durham this week.
Madness! Yesterday we went to the Durham Chorale's Christmas Concert (Jennifer was singing) and it was so warm that we didn't need jackets. Some members of the audience were wearing shorts. Granted, I'm grateful for the warm weather because it means I can get a lot of painting done this week, but it certainly doesn't feel Christmas-y.
Speaking of painting, we tested some colors this weekend. I am in love with Oklahoma Wheat! Or rather, "Safari". You see, there's a particular type of paint that I want to use (Benjamin Moore's Aura). It's very durable, washable, & has low fumes. In the Aura line, Oklahoma Wheat is known as Safari. It's the same color (the paint chips look exactly the same) so I'm just going to keep on thinking of it as Oklahoma Wheat.Anyway!
I put some patches of it in the living room, downstairs hallway, and upstairs hallway. It looks 1000% better than the dreary beigey-lavender-grey that we currently have all over the place. It's warm and homey, while also feeling light. It's yellow, but it isn't YELLOW, if ya know what I mean. The house is going to feel so much happier & more welcoming when we're done. I can't wait!
Meanwhile in the dining room, we're tinkering with different shades of green. We've tested 3 so far & found a lighter green that Tim likes (Croquet - the color on the right in these photos), but I'm afraid it has a little too much grey in it. Honestly, I'm so sick of looking at paint that I feel an urge to just paint that room Oklahoma Wheat, too. Kevin & Shawna were over on Saturday night & we asked them what they thought. Kevin was noncommital. Shawna said shes like the old color. Clearly these people cannot be trusted.
Maybe I should look at the other side of the color wheel. A part of me thinks that a warm pink could be a great color for a dining room. Or not. Hmm.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Painting madness: inspiration
Once upon a time, I worked in a costume shop for a university. We made all of the costumes for every play, musical, dance, and opera that went up on our university's stage. It could be stressful, but we had a blast. I worked with 3 flamingly gay men, which made it all the more interesting. Just me, a drag queen, a couple Bears, and all the fancy, creative costumes you could possibly imagine. How could that not be fun, ya know?
My specialty in the costume shop was hand sewing - or as the boys loved to say "hand jobs". As in, "Hey Mary, I need you to give me a hand job [snicker]". Note that only gay men speaking to their beloved fag hags can get away with this kind of humor. Note also that this never. gets. old.
The reason why I became Queen of the Hand Jobs is because I have meticulous attention to detail. If something needs to be done just so - if you really truly care about the placement of every single stitch - I am your girl. The only drawback is that perfection takes time. Also, there are very few things in stage costuming that require fine detail work (the audience was always at least 20 feet away from our university's stage). And yet, I had this urge to make ALL of my work perfect. Therefore, I was slow. My boss, Robert, learned this sad fact about me. Whenever he gave me a job that needed to be done quickly, he would tell me to be a Speed Demon. If he saw me poking along on my machine on some silly sleeve for a supporting character, Robert would bellow, "I need you to be a Speed Demon, Mary! Speeeeeeed Demon!" & I'd wake up from my reverie of obsessive focus & pick up the pace.
Ah, if only Robert was still in my life now, for I have gotten myself wrapped up into my little perfectionistic world again & I need someone like him to come over, slap me around, and remind me to stop sweating the small stuff.
The small stuff in this case is painting. I know, I know, I picked out paint colors ages ago, right? But getting started on the painting project is scaring me. Paint costs money! Plus, this is Our House - a major investment! And if I spend all of that time preparing the walls and painting and then I don't like the results, then that could affect the value of the house! Plus it's a lot of money & time wasted. Never mind the fact that I'm already wasting a hell of a lot of time agonizing over this. At least I'm not wasting money yet, right?
My biggest hang-up in the paint department - the sticking point that is causing me the most grief - is the kitchen.
Oh, the kitchen. Why must it torture me so. There are lots of things about it that are ugly, but we aren't in a position to change out things right now (well, except for the dead microwave/hood seen in the breakfast nook in these pics. We got rid of that last week). We can paint, though. And boy does this room ever need painting. I hate the blue paint in the kitchen with a loathing that I usually reserve for Jefferson Starship and The Eagles. However, I can't settle on a new color. And seeing as the kitchen is connected to the living room, hallway and dining room, I feel that the color I paint the kitchen has a major influence on the colors I paint the other areas. So of course I can't paint anything in any room until I've nailed down a final color pallet, yes?
Bah.
Anyway. I know this is getting long, so I'm just going to post some inspirational pics. You see, I've been feeling a leaning towards happy, colorful prints for the kitchen. Madness, I know. But the stereotypical yellow kitchen is such a boring cliche & I want to avoid that. I want something a little different. So here are some inspirational pieces that have caught my eye.
First: The sheets I recently bought at Target. Cuter in person, too. If you are smart you will buy some today. Only $20!
Concert poster for everybody's favorite band that features a trumpet, Cake! I don't own this poster, but I'm thinking about getting it despite the fact that I've never been to Milwaukee.
Third, this print from The Black Apple's on-line shop on Etsy. I don't own this yet, but I fully intend to. I've bought other things from Emily before & I think she's super fab.
Lastly, my Le Creuset cookware.
Luckily for me, I do own this. I have 5 pieces of Le Creuset cookware. And I LOVE their gorgeous red color. I have enough storage that they don't need to sit out all the time, but I don't mind at all if one is sitting on the stove just 'cause.
So that's my color story. But what does this say? What should I do? Well, besides paint the kitchen cabinets white (don't go there). Decisions, decisions ...
My specialty in the costume shop was hand sewing - or as the boys loved to say "hand jobs". As in, "Hey Mary, I need you to give me a hand job [snicker]". Note that only gay men speaking to their beloved fag hags can get away with this kind of humor. Note also that this never. gets. old.
The reason why I became Queen of the Hand Jobs is because I have meticulous attention to detail. If something needs to be done just so - if you really truly care about the placement of every single stitch - I am your girl. The only drawback is that perfection takes time. Also, there are very few things in stage costuming that require fine detail work (the audience was always at least 20 feet away from our university's stage). And yet, I had this urge to make ALL of my work perfect. Therefore, I was slow. My boss, Robert, learned this sad fact about me. Whenever he gave me a job that needed to be done quickly, he would tell me to be a Speed Demon. If he saw me poking along on my machine on some silly sleeve for a supporting character, Robert would bellow, "I need you to be a Speed Demon, Mary! Speeeeeeed Demon!" & I'd wake up from my reverie of obsessive focus & pick up the pace.
Ah, if only Robert was still in my life now, for I have gotten myself wrapped up into my little perfectionistic world again & I need someone like him to come over, slap me around, and remind me to stop sweating the small stuff.
The small stuff in this case is painting. I know, I know, I picked out paint colors ages ago, right? But getting started on the painting project is scaring me. Paint costs money! Plus, this is Our House - a major investment! And if I spend all of that time preparing the walls and painting and then I don't like the results, then that could affect the value of the house! Plus it's a lot of money & time wasted. Never mind the fact that I'm already wasting a hell of a lot of time agonizing over this. At least I'm not wasting money yet, right?
My biggest hang-up in the paint department - the sticking point that is causing me the most grief - is the kitchen.
Oh, the kitchen. Why must it torture me so. There are lots of things about it that are ugly, but we aren't in a position to change out things right now (well, except for the dead microwave/hood seen in the breakfast nook in these pics. We got rid of that last week). We can paint, though. And boy does this room ever need painting. I hate the blue paint in the kitchen with a loathing that I usually reserve for Jefferson Starship and The Eagles. However, I can't settle on a new color. And seeing as the kitchen is connected to the living room, hallway and dining room, I feel that the color I paint the kitchen has a major influence on the colors I paint the other areas. So of course I can't paint anything in any room until I've nailed down a final color pallet, yes?
Bah.
Anyway. I know this is getting long, so I'm just going to post some inspirational pics. You see, I've been feeling a leaning towards happy, colorful prints for the kitchen. Madness, I know. But the stereotypical yellow kitchen is such a boring cliche & I want to avoid that. I want something a little different. So here are some inspirational pieces that have caught my eye.
First: The sheets I recently bought at Target. Cuter in person, too. If you are smart you will buy some today. Only $20!
Concert poster for everybody's favorite band that features a trumpet, Cake! I don't own this poster, but I'm thinking about getting it despite the fact that I've never been to Milwaukee.
Third, this print from The Black Apple's on-line shop on Etsy. I don't own this yet, but I fully intend to. I've bought other things from Emily before & I think she's super fab.
Lastly, my Le Creuset cookware.
Luckily for me, I do own this. I have 5 pieces of Le Creuset cookware. And I LOVE their gorgeous red color. I have enough storage that they don't need to sit out all the time, but I don't mind at all if one is sitting on the stove just 'cause.
So that's my color story. But what does this say? What should I do? Well, besides paint the kitchen cabinets white (don't go there). Decisions, decisions ...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Amazing happenings
An amazing thing happened today, children. I had telephone conversations with three people and NOT ONCE did I erupt into a coughing fit during said calls! Not one single time! This is a huge milestone, people. I have been coughing soooooooo damn much over the last month. I have avoided going out with people & calling friends on the phone because talking - simply talking! - caused me to repeatedly hack and cough and spit up phlegm. It's been nasty. But now! Now I'm actually starting to sound like a person who is NOT dying of consumption! Imagine that! I mean, I'm still coughing a bit so it's not like a Healing Fairy flew down & hit me on the head with her magic wand or anything. But seriously. The difference is amazing.
Other amazing happenings:
1. My father shaved off his mustache for the first time in 35 years. No really. I have never ever seen my father without his mustache. Color me highly intrigued.
2. My brother, Mike, is currently in Los Angeles on a photography job. This is the same guy who got laid off from his old, sucky job a couple of months ago. Now he is pursuing his dreams & traveling around the country. How cool is that?!?
3. The house next door (dubbed "Scary House" by george when she was visiting last spring) was painted over the weekend. It is now a clean, cheerful white & doesn't look the least bit scary anymore.
4. I found a video game I like. The last time I liked playing a particular video game was back in 1983 when I played the Smurfs game on our ColecoVision. This new game - the game that sucked up almost my entire weekend - is Lego Star Wars II for the XBox 360. Tim doesn't seem to like it as much as I do, which is a shame, but he's still managed to log in many an hour playing the game with me.
Other amazing happenings:
1. My father shaved off his mustache for the first time in 35 years. No really. I have never ever seen my father without his mustache. Color me highly intrigued.
2. My brother, Mike, is currently in Los Angeles on a photography job. This is the same guy who got laid off from his old, sucky job a couple of months ago. Now he is pursuing his dreams & traveling around the country. How cool is that?!?
3. The house next door (dubbed "Scary House" by george when she was visiting last spring) was painted over the weekend. It is now a clean, cheerful white & doesn't look the least bit scary anymore.
4. I found a video game I like. The last time I liked playing a particular video game was back in 1983 when I played the Smurfs game on our ColecoVision. This new game - the game that sucked up almost my entire weekend - is Lego Star Wars II for the XBox 360. Tim doesn't seem to like it as much as I do, which is a shame, but he's still managed to log in many an hour playing the game with me.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thanksgiving pics
From left to right: Meryl, "Tes", & me. There were at least a dozen other fabulous people there, too, but these two ladies are especially fabulous.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Hooroo!
Q: So, Mary, you havn't posted a new entry on your blog in, like, forever. What's that about? Are you okay?
A: Yes, Mary, I'm fine. In fact, I'm doing much better today than I have been. After many weeks of feeling craptacular, I actually have some ENERGY today!
Hooray!
Hoorah!
Hooroo!
I'm still coughing a lot, but this natural injection of energy is thrilling after spending so many weeks in my pajamas. This morning I woke up and I worked out! Gasp! And I scrubbed the bathtub before I took a nice, long shower. And I actually left the house & scratched some errands off of my list (bank, grocery store, etc.) and I did not feel exhausted when I got home! This is really major, folks. Seriously. I'm thrilled. So thrilled that I almost went out to buy new curtains for the living room this evening before coming home to make shepherd's pie for dinner. I did not do that, though, as I'm afraid that might be pushing things.
I have a habit of pushing things, ya know. One of my oldest friends once said that I am the sort of person who is either "going 100 miles per hour or is at a complete standstill". He was so right. I will sit around on my ass for days and days, just allowing my to-do list to get longer & longer. But once that list reaches critical mass, I jump up and try to get everything done in, like, 2 hours. I need to have a lot of things to do in order to work up the energy to do just one thing. I'm weird like that. The only exception to this rule is dishes. I'm pretty good at doing dishes every day, no matter how many are dirty.
So. Anyway. Enough rambling. My latest load of laundry is almost done & it's about time to start chopping onions. Pray that I still have some of this energy left in me tomorrow!
A: Yes, Mary, I'm fine. In fact, I'm doing much better today than I have been. After many weeks of feeling craptacular, I actually have some ENERGY today!
Hooray!
Hoorah!
Hooroo!
I'm still coughing a lot, but this natural injection of energy is thrilling after spending so many weeks in my pajamas. This morning I woke up and I worked out! Gasp! And I scrubbed the bathtub before I took a nice, long shower. And I actually left the house & scratched some errands off of my list (bank, grocery store, etc.) and I did not feel exhausted when I got home! This is really major, folks. Seriously. I'm thrilled. So thrilled that I almost went out to buy new curtains for the living room this evening before coming home to make shepherd's pie for dinner. I did not do that, though, as I'm afraid that might be pushing things.
I have a habit of pushing things, ya know. One of my oldest friends once said that I am the sort of person who is either "going 100 miles per hour or is at a complete standstill". He was so right. I will sit around on my ass for days and days, just allowing my to-do list to get longer & longer. But once that list reaches critical mass, I jump up and try to get everything done in, like, 2 hours. I need to have a lot of things to do in order to work up the energy to do just one thing. I'm weird like that. The only exception to this rule is dishes. I'm pretty good at doing dishes every day, no matter how many are dirty.
So. Anyway. Enough rambling. My latest load of laundry is almost done & it's about time to start chopping onions. Pray that I still have some of this energy left in me tomorrow!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Cough cough hack cough
I'm back. It took me a little longer than I expected, but that's what can happen when you catch a virus while on vacation.
Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who is under the weather. It appears that my laptop may be dying. I'll get Tim to look at it sometime soon & determine if all hope is lost.
In the mean time, I get to play on his computer! Wee! He has a British keyboard which, if you didn't know, is set up a bit differently than an American keyboard. For instance, the @ symbol and the " symbol are not where you'd expect. Same goes for the ~ thingamy. But it's easier than ever to use the symbols for the British pound & the Euro. £! €! See? Exciting, no? No? No, I didn't think so, either. ;)
Mkay, I'm going to go cuddle up under a blanket with a giant pile of tissues & drift in & out of consciousness for a while. Hope the virus hasn't caught up with you yet.
Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who is under the weather. It appears that my laptop may be dying. I'll get Tim to look at it sometime soon & determine if all hope is lost.
In the mean time, I get to play on his computer! Wee! He has a British keyboard which, if you didn't know, is set up a bit differently than an American keyboard. For instance, the @ symbol and the " symbol are not where you'd expect. Same goes for the ~ thingamy. But it's easier than ever to use the symbols for the British pound & the Euro. £! €! See? Exciting, no? No? No, I didn't think so, either. ;)
Mkay, I'm going to go cuddle up under a blanket with a giant pile of tissues & drift in & out of consciousness for a while. Hope the virus hasn't caught up with you yet.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
AAH!!!
The following is an excerpt of a phone call I made on Friday, 11/02/07 at approximately 11am Central time.
Me: So, whatcha doin' today?
George: Oh, I don't know. Maybe buying milk. And butter.
Me: You don't have to do anything else for the play tonight?
George: Nope.
Me: So, uh, you wanna go out to lunch?
George: Are you in town?!
Me: Yes!
George: AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!!
Thanks to Veronica for inspiring me to buy a plane ticket (and for driving up here, too!). Thanks to all of you who helped keep the secret, well, secret! And to those who didn't already know ... yup, I'm in Tulsa. I'll be here until Thursday. WEEE!
Me: So, whatcha doin' today?
George: Oh, I don't know. Maybe buying milk. And butter.
Me: You don't have to do anything else for the play tonight?
George: Nope.
Me: So, uh, you wanna go out to lunch?
George: Are you in town?!
Me: Yes!
George: AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!! AAH!!!
Thanks to Veronica for inspiring me to buy a plane ticket (and for driving up here, too!). Thanks to all of you who helped keep the secret, well, secret! And to those who didn't already know ... yup, I'm in Tulsa. I'll be here until Thursday. WEEE!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A life of crime
This week I stumbled across a fabulous old article from The Onion. I didn't even know The Onion existed 10 years ago, did you?
Read the rest of the article here.
In somewhat related news, I'm thinking of applying for a job a found in the paper. Only a part-time job, though, so that I will still have time to continue whoring myself out to my husband.
Housewife Charged In Sex-For-Security Scam
September 23, 1997 | Issue 32•08
AKRON, OH—Area resident Helen Crandall, 44, was arrested by Akron police Sunday, charged with conducting an elaborate "sex-for-security" scam in which she allegedly defrauded husband Russell Crandall out of nearly $230,000 in cash, food, clothing and housing over the past 19 years using periodic offers of sexual intercourse.
"It's the biggest scam of its kind I've ever seen," Akron police chief Thomas Agee said. "We're talking coats, dishwashers, jewelry, sewing machines, bathroom cleansers—you name it."
Read the rest of the article here.
In somewhat related news, I'm thinking of applying for a job a found in the paper. Only a part-time job, though, so that I will still have time to continue whoring myself out to my husband.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Whazzup?
My first boyfriend used to say "Whazzup?" to everybody. He'd write it in notes, too. Luckily, this was still long before it turned into an annoying catch phrase of a certain beer company, but still. Kinda annoying. But lots of things about him weren't quite right. Ah, youth.
Anyway!
Yup, I'm still here. Not to worry. Still feeling a little down. I'm talking with Tim about it. Maybe someday I'll talk about it here, too.
I just wanted to say thanks to the people out there who continue to stop by & read the ol' blog. I know some of you are more comfortable with calling me on the phone than posting a comment, so I also wanted to say that that is okay, too. I appreciate the phone calls, the e-mails, the cards, and the occasional comment. It's all good.
So what's going on 'round here? Not a whole lot. I managed to rake the garden! Hooray! But now there's more leaves on the ground than there were before. That's to be expected, though, because autumn is finally showing its face around here. I took some photos from our back deck earlier this week and in the few short days since then, I've noticed the trees have altered their colors slightly. I'll have to take some more photos over the next couple of weeks in order to capture the progression.
And yes, we really own every single one of the trees featured in these photos. I still can't believe it. As Mom says, we are quite blessed.
In other news ...
1. I went to the Parade of Homes with Laura and we had a fabulous time. There was one house in particular we both liked, but we can't seem to rummage up the required $3.1 million for it.
2. Did I mention that we got a HUGE aquarium for free from our friend, Dave? And that we set it up in the office? And that it's huge and free? Yay Dave!
3. And did I mention that we got a comfy chair for me to sit in & placed it next to said aquarium so that I can hang out with Tim while he plays on the computer? I'm sitting in that chair now & it's a fabulous thing. Tim & I spend a lot more time together now thanks to this chair, so it was a great investment.
... although I can hear george shrieking, "You got MORE furniture?!?!" Yes. Yes we did.
4. We spontaneously went out to dinner with Jennifer & Kyle on Thursday. I really really like Jennifer. I like her more every time I see her. She studied voice in college & still performs with a locale chorale group (although she pays the bills by making video games). She giggles a lot - like me - and thoroughly enjoys cute things - like me - but she isn't too painfully sweet - like (I hope) me.
5. Futher proof that autumn has finally arrived: I wore socks this week. This may have been my first time to wear socks in our new house. Unbelieveable, no? I had lots of fun sliding around on the hardwoods.
6. No, I'm not done with the dining room yet. No, I don't like to think about it. The ceiling is completely scraped, but now I'm so sick of it that I feel like sweeping up the mess and just ignoring the fact that the ceiling desperately needs to be painted. If any of you have tips on painting a ceiling, I'd love to hear them.
7. Yes, I'm still watching "America's Next Top Model". Go Heather!
8. Now I have also been sucked in by Canada's version of "Project Runway". It's pretty good! I don't like their mentor as much (his mustache is kinda creepy), but they have Iman! Fabulous, glorious, beautiful Iman! And the designers are very talented, too. My favorite is a chick named Carlie. Anyway, I mention this because I neeeeed to talk someone into watching it with me. Reality TV is so much more fun when I can chatter on for ages with others about it! The first episode is available on YouTube. Click here to see part 1.
9. I watch entirely too much TV. That is all.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bleh
So here's the deal.
I'm having a difficult time.
I don't feel like talking about it. Tim says that's part of the problem. I just don't feel like burdening people with, well, me. I've spent so much of my life whining & I don't feel that I have a right to be depressed right now. And yet, I am.
So. That's why things have been quieter here again. I need to dig out of this slump, though. I need to finish what I want to do on the house. I need to rake the yard. I need to get my car inspected. I need to file ten billion papers. The list goes on and on.
But for a while, let's just focus on happy things. Okay? Okay.
Anti-kvetch: After record-highs in the 90s, the heat wave finaly broke this week. Our highs are in the lower 70s now! Woot!
I'm having a difficult time.
I don't feel like talking about it. Tim says that's part of the problem. I just don't feel like burdening people with, well, me. I've spent so much of my life whining & I don't feel that I have a right to be depressed right now. And yet, I am.
So. That's why things have been quieter here again. I need to dig out of this slump, though. I need to finish what I want to do on the house. I need to rake the yard. I need to get my car inspected. I need to file ten billion papers. The list goes on and on.
But for a while, let's just focus on happy things. Okay? Okay.
Anti-kvetch: After record-highs in the 90s, the heat wave finaly broke this week. Our highs are in the lower 70s now! Woot!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Kvetch Up #2
Anti-kvetch: I went to an opera on Friday night with Jennifer. We saw "Marriage of Figaro". Good times! I didn't get home until about 2am. I'm a party animal! Woot!
Kvetch: Still no rain here. Le siiiiiiiiigh.
Anti-kvetch: Monday I finished scraping the popcorn ceiling off in the dining room
Kvetch: Honestly, there's still some places that need to be smoothed out a bit. And it still has to be painted. Bleh.
Anti-kvetch: I watched the first 2 episodes of "America's Next Top Model" on-line. I have been avoiding this show for years now, but after witnessing George & Holly's love of it while they were visiting me in April, I decided to give it a shot. Now I can talk with mah peeps about how Mila has no soul & debate whether we like Ebony or not.
Kvetch: I fear I will grow dumber and dumber every week if I keep this up. And if I start feeling fat after watching this show, I'm giving it up. Fer reelz.
Antikvetch: The episode round-ups on FourFour are FABulous, honey! If you aren't reading these babies, then your entire ANTM experience is seriously lacking. Read it.
MAJOR MAJOR Kvetch: On Tuesday morning, Tim realized that his greencard would expire in 48 hours!!!! Can you say, "Eep"? So he called the Department of Homeland Security & found out what we needed to do. He came home on his lunch break and we filled out forms and found various bits of documentation that (we hope) proves that, yes, we are still living together as a married couple. I will not tell you of the nightmarish encounter that Tim had at the post office. The point is ...
Anti-kvetch: The documents are mailed now and they should arrive on time. Barely.
Kvetch: Still no rain here. Le siiiiiiiiigh.
Anti-kvetch: Monday I finished scraping the popcorn ceiling off in the dining room
Kvetch: Honestly, there's still some places that need to be smoothed out a bit. And it still has to be painted. Bleh.
Anti-kvetch: I watched the first 2 episodes of "America's Next Top Model" on-line. I have been avoiding this show for years now, but after witnessing George & Holly's love of it while they were visiting me in April, I decided to give it a shot. Now I can talk with mah peeps about how Mila has no soul & debate whether we like Ebony or not.
Kvetch: I fear I will grow dumber and dumber every week if I keep this up. And if I start feeling fat after watching this show, I'm giving it up. Fer reelz.
Antikvetch: The episode round-ups on FourFour are FABulous, honey! If you aren't reading these babies, then your entire ANTM experience is seriously lacking. Read it.
MAJOR MAJOR Kvetch: On Tuesday morning, Tim realized that his greencard would expire in 48 hours!!!! Can you say, "Eep"? So he called the Department of Homeland Security & found out what we needed to do. He came home on his lunch break and we filled out forms and found various bits of documentation that (we hope) proves that, yes, we are still living together as a married couple. I will not tell you of the nightmarish encounter that Tim had at the post office. The point is ...
Anti-kvetch: The documents are mailed now and they should arrive on time. Barely.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Another link dump
My computer has been acting funky, so I'm going to post a few more links here so I can close tabs & keep my system from crashing ... again. Grr.
My dream cooker:
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar.aspx?src=ranges
If I were rich & didn't care about resale & such, I'd get that baby in red. With a matching range hood. Oh yeah, baby!
Southern Accents Design Assistant:
http://designassistant.southernaccents.com/browse/accents/spcSearch?tab=Rooms&offset=133&rpp=12&Rooms=RoomsKitchens
HGTV message boards - Color:
http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/7644077072
Charles&Hudson decorating blog:
http://www.charlesandhudson.com/
Fancy french toast:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/09/french-toast-fancy-brunch-restaurant.html
My dream cooker:
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar.aspx?src=ranges
If I were rich & didn't care about resale & such, I'd get that baby in red. With a matching range hood. Oh yeah, baby!
Southern Accents Design Assistant:
http://designassistant.southernaccents.com/browse/accents/spcSearch?tab=Rooms&offset=133&rpp=12&Rooms=RoomsKitchens
HGTV message boards - Color:
http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/7644077072
Charles&Hudson decorating blog:
http://www.charlesandhudson.com/
Fancy french toast:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/09/french-toast-fancy-brunch-restaurant.html
Monday, September 24, 2007
Link dump
Just dropping off some links to food sites.
Pumpkin muffins (from Smitten Kitchen): http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/promise-keeper-pumpkin-eater
More pumpkin muffins (with some additional instructions): http://feliciasullivan.com/?p=725
Molasses cookies: http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/09/cookies-for-fall.html
Rose lassi: http://www.kurma.net/essays/e2.html
If you like that, you'll probably LOVE my favorite site for food porn: http://www.tastespotting.com/
And totally unrelated to food ...
For those who have trouble understanding my husband (or some of the language I've picked up from him), here's a guide to British slang: http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml
Pumpkin muffins (from Smitten Kitchen): http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/promise-keeper-pumpkin-eater
More pumpkin muffins (with some additional instructions): http://feliciasullivan.com/?p=725
Molasses cookies: http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/09/cookies-for-fall.html
Rose lassi: http://www.kurma.net/essays/e2.html
If you like that, you'll probably LOVE my favorite site for food porn: http://www.tastespotting.com/
And totally unrelated to food ...
For those who have trouble understanding my husband (or some of the language I've picked up from him), here's a guide to British slang: http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml
Friday, September 21, 2007
Made
Tonight I made a custard pie. Or perhaps one might say that I'm still in the midst of making a pie, since it's still in the oven. I really love to bake but, oddly enough, I don't like making pies. There's just so much faffing about and it's messy and although the end product always turns out spectacularly well, I'm usually worse for wear at the end of it (Note: I have 2 burns on my right hand now & I can't even type with my left thumb. Grr.). I think the biggest annoyance in pie-making is that I insist on making my crust from scratch. I don't know ANYbody other than me and my mother who still makes crust from scratch. It's like a dying art that I kinda feel an obligation to keep alive. Too bad it frustrates the hell out of me ...
Here are some other things I made within the last week.
1. A necklace
On Saturday I spent the afternoon with Jennifer & Shauna at a bead shop in Cary. The necklace I made is a little unconventional compared to what most people make at bead stores, but I like it. The large white jade beads are meant to look like morning glories - a flower that my mother grows at her house in Oklahoma.
2. Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread
I cooked this up to accompany some stew. I got the recipe from Emily over at "Inside a Black Apple". So warm and soft and delicious and wonderful! I suggest you store it in a ziplock freezer bag instead of foil. It keeps for a very long time that way. Yum!
3. The bed
I love our bed. I like to think of it as a great, big, fluffy marshmallow. Light and soft and lovely. But I'm not always so good about making it. This week I decided to change that. I remembered that I always made our bed when we lived in Brighton and it made it look so much more inviting at night, so I'm re-adopting the habit. Now you know, Mom. It may have taken me 32 years, but I have FINALLY learned to make my bed everyday.
4. A Potter addict
Recently I mentioned to Tim that I have read dozens of books that he had recomended to me, but that he had yet to read a single, solitary book that I had suggested. Since Tim had just finished reading some lengthy three-book saga about sex-crazed fairies, he agreed that maybe he should finally - FINALLY - give the Harry Potter books a try. Afterall, all of his friends had read them and they liked them, so why not? He could just read the first book and if he liked it, then maybe he'd eventually get around to reading the 2nd one. No harm in that, right? Well, he gobbled the first book up quickly. And hastily moved on to the 2nd. He read Book 3 within about 24 hours (on a work day!) and he's about to finish Book 4. Yup. I think he's been bitten by the Potter Bug.
Here are some other things I made within the last week.
1. A necklace
On Saturday I spent the afternoon with Jennifer & Shauna at a bead shop in Cary. The necklace I made is a little unconventional compared to what most people make at bead stores, but I like it. The large white jade beads are meant to look like morning glories - a flower that my mother grows at her house in Oklahoma.
2. Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread
I cooked this up to accompany some stew. I got the recipe from Emily over at "Inside a Black Apple". So warm and soft and delicious and wonderful! I suggest you store it in a ziplock freezer bag instead of foil. It keeps for a very long time that way. Yum!
3. The bed
I love our bed. I like to think of it as a great, big, fluffy marshmallow. Light and soft and lovely. But I'm not always so good about making it. This week I decided to change that. I remembered that I always made our bed when we lived in Brighton and it made it look so much more inviting at night, so I'm re-adopting the habit. Now you know, Mom. It may have taken me 32 years, but I have FINALLY learned to make my bed everyday.
4. A Potter addict
Recently I mentioned to Tim that I have read dozens of books that he had recomended to me, but that he had yet to read a single, solitary book that I had suggested. Since Tim had just finished reading some lengthy three-book saga about sex-crazed fairies, he agreed that maybe he should finally - FINALLY - give the Harry Potter books a try. Afterall, all of his friends had read them and they liked them, so why not? He could just read the first book and if he liked it, then maybe he'd eventually get around to reading the 2nd one. No harm in that, right? Well, he gobbled the first book up quickly. And hastily moved on to the 2nd. He read Book 3 within about 24 hours (on a work day!) and he's about to finish Book 4. Yup. I think he's been bitten by the Potter Bug.
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