georgious

Yesterday was the birthday of my darling george! Huzzah! You can read about it on her blog.

Since I couldn't be with g on her big day, I was forced to sit at home and pout. Okay, I didn't just pout. I also played on-line and looked a old photos .... photos I was only able to look at because I fiiiiiiiiiiiinally have a working power supply for my netbook! My old power supply died many weeks ago & I've been dealing with the mess ever since. No netbook means no access to my memory cards. No memory cards means no new photos and, without photos, I don't like to blog. But now I can access my photos again! Hooray!

So in honor of g's big day and my brand new power supply, here are some of my favorite pics of me & my georgie-porgie.









And lest we forget everybody's favorite ... The Yeti

One month later ...

Hello, blog. How's it going?

And hello, readers. Are you still out there?

I always hate when people write excuses for why they haven't posted on their blog for a while. I never really care why. As long as the author is okay, then I'm okay. So don't worry, gang. I'm happy and healthy and all that jazz. As a bonus, I'm in the mood to post a bit more, so stay tuned!

Signs of Autumn

Break out the boots! Fall is here!


Apple cider is available at the grocery store.


Here's the first loaf of autumnal pumpkin bread in the making.


Our garden gives summer a fond farewell with one last burst of color: camellias in bloom.

Love it.

A familiar scene

Today's pic is of my mom, but it could just as easily be of me.
Sitting on couch? Check.
Cat on lap? Check.
Netbook open and ready? Check.
Crafty project in hand? Well, after a 4 week hiatus, I returned to knitting a sweater this week. I suppose that's a long way of saying "check".
And although you can't see it in the photo, I assure you that the TV is definitely on.

Hey. I'm a multi-tasker.

Such an exciting life I lead, yes?

For my eyes only

Most of the time when I take photos, I do so with the intention that I will share the images with others. Granted, it doesn't always turn out that way, but at least that's my intent. Today I'm going to share with you the rare exception: photos I take just for me.

As most of you know, I'm not terribly fond of spending money, but I am fond of research. That's where my camera comes in handy. If I'm considering a purchase and researching certain products at a store, I often whip out my ol' camera and take a few pictures. It's a great way to catalog the model number and price, as well as the general look of the thing.

Then when I go home to think over the purchase, I have everything I need to know on my handy dandy memory card! For instance, I need only look at this pic to remind me that the shelves of this Ikea bookcase are 13 inches deep.

I do this ALL the time. Usually it's for big purchases for the house like faucets for the bathrooms or the new lighting fixture in the dining room. I've found it's a much better technique than scribbling the details on a piece of paper (which I will inevitably lose amidst all the other junk floating around in my purse).

Yet another reason to love digital cameras.

Living up to their name

Mmmmmm ... baked goooooooooods ...

I love baked goods.

Especially homemade baked goods.

Potato yeast rolls are especially tempting for me. I can turn away a slab of cheesecake or a plate of fries. But hot, fresh, homemade potato yeast rolls? Oh my.

Pass the butter.

One year down!

Today marks one whole year since Travis and Veronica got married! Hooray! It was so lovely to watch such sweet people tie the knot. Plus it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many great old friends. I took TONS of photos from V&T's wedding weekend. If you're in the mood for a happy, inebriated trip down memory lane, check out the following links.

Part 1: Goofy Girl Time!
Part 2: Pre-ceremony prep
Part 3: Reception & English Country Dancing
Part 4: Trader Vic's and waaaaay too much alcohol

V&T, I hope you had a fabulous anniversary!

Hello Gorgeous!

Allow me to introduce you to my new mixer. I've been thinking about getting a stand mixer for a couple of years now, but I remained on the fence because I never saw one in a color I quite liked. Then this baby hit the stores: the KitchenAid 90th Anniversary Edition Artisan stand mixer with a 12 cup glass bowl. Oh my. So pretty. Photos do not do it justice. That candy apple red makes it look like a sports car.

YUM.

15 Pounds of Patience

I took Millie to the vet today. Not to worry. It was just time for her to have her annual physical. There are a couple of issues we have to take care of, but all in all we think she's okay. She was a perfect patient, as always, and totally stole the hearts of the employees at the vet's office.



It doesn't make sense, but her perfect behavior at the vet's office makes it extra hard for me to take her there. She doesn't cry. She doesn't fight. She submits to whatever they want. You would think she would wiggle or act annoyed or something, right? But instead she's a perfectly patient, patient. The only thing she does is fold her ears back and occasionally glace over at me so she can give me Bitch Face. Because she knows that the only reason why she's there is because I took her there.


Luckily, she got to go to the vet in a proper cat carrier this time. No more pillow cases for my baby! I think that made it a far less traumatic experience for her. Within minutes of coming home, she was already snoozing on the living room rug rather than cowering under the bed in the guest room. I'm taking this as a good sign. Maybe next time it won't be as traumatic for me, either!

Memory Card Month - Day 24

Sometimes when I'm out & about, I take photos for me. Other times I take photos of things that remind me of loved ones. When I was at Parker & Otis I found all kinds of things that made me think of george .

Actually, this pupperson reminded me of Lindsey, but she's george's friend, so that counts. Notice that I found out who Otis is! But I'm still not sure about Parker. Hmmm.

Bacon wrapping paper, bacon band-aids, meat-themed stickers, and a bacon lunch box. I know all of these items would have been sold at Lulu Faboo.


You just know that george would buy these cookies. They have cute names! And they're shaped like bears! Eee!

My favorite things in P&O: the t-shirts. Are you a cake person or a frosting person? Let the world know with your t-shirt!

Personally, I'm a biscuit gal. I would honestly choose a quality buttermilk biscuit over a cupcake any day of the week. But when it comes to a t-shirt, I might choose pimento cheese just because it's fun to say.

Pimento cheeeeeeese! Eeeee!

Memory Card Month - Day 23

Since I took you to Parker & Otis yesterday, I thought we'd stick around there for a little while.

I absolutely love this shop. It is deceptively large. From the street, you'd think it is a narrow little storefront. But it is DEEP. And it has great high ceiling with tons of light. For those of you in Tulsa, I'd say it's about 8 times the size of LaDonna's, but about 25% of that is seating.

In the back they have a bakery where they sell cupcakes amongst other things. I hear they serve some fabulous sandwiches for lunch, too. Maybe next time.

The front part of the store is the "pantry" section where you can buy fancy thing like truffle oil and swanky teas.

They also sell a lot of old fashioned candy like these Necco wafers. My mother LOVES these things for reasons that I don't think I shall ever understand.

I saw a number of things at Parker & Otis that made me think specifically of george. I'll post pics of them tomorrow.

Memory Card Month - Day 22

This is a zucchini cupcake with buttercream frosting from Parker & Otis, an adorable gourmet food store in downtown Durham. I wish I had one of these babies in my mits right now. That would be so choice.

Speaking of Scooby Doo, today is the birthday of my brother, Mike! Did I mention that one of his photos was featured in a 2 page spread in Spin Magazine? So cool! Go to the link on the left to see his portfolio ... and prepare to be amazed.

Momma's First Wedding Show

Thought I'd give you all a little up-date on Mom. She has declared the wedding show a great success! She had a great time showing off her wares. Her booth was situated next to a bakery that was handing out free samples of cake. When I heard that, I knew she would be fine. People have to look at something while they eat that cake, right? So why not take a gander at Mom's kaleidoscopes? Sure enough, it worked. Mom said that she & Helen did not have a single spare moment the whole time. They talked to tons of people & a number of them were particularly interested. One of the organizers of the show even heard a couple of guys (grooms perhaps?) talking about Mom's work in the hallway. "Did you see the kaleidoscopes? Dude, you gotta go back in there and check 'em out. They are so cool."

Photos provided by Storybook Wedding Photography

I'm especially happy for Mom for putting herself out there. We all know how scary that can be! It takes a lot of bravery even in the best of times. However, I think it may have been a little bit more difficult on Mom because of the timing; Today marks 5 years since my grandma - my mother's mother - passed away. Mom says she's coping okay. She decided to combat the blues by thinking about the beauty of the beach along the Outer Banks and the week we spent there in May. So in honor of Mom, here are a couple beach pics from that week. I hope she enjoys looking at them between additional viewings of "Nights in Rodanthe".

george!

For those of you who don't know her, this is my Best Gal Pal, george.

Unfortunately, I did not have the honor of snapping this photo. Back in 2005 during a rehearsal for "On The Verge", a mysterious, unnamed individual snapped it with my cell phone when I was out of the room to try on a costume. This image has appeared on the main screen of my cell phone ever since. It's one of my favorite photos ever.

I also love that it reminds me of a certain video by The Cure. Anybody know which one I'm talking about?

Since I didn't take that pic, I still have to find another image to post. Last night george said that I should post a photo of her or Derek on the blog today. Sounds easy, but it's not. I didn't take many photos of them over the past year & I'm pretty sure I've posted every single one of them.

Then I found this.

This is a townhouse that george and I fell in love with last December. It's so adorable! The interior had nice details and it was situated on a sweet little courtyard with big trees and a fountain. Plus it had a 2 car garage! Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, so instead of buying a house that day, we bought storage shelves.

Oh, but what's that? Over on the right next to the tree? Why, it's GEORGE!

Hooray! Goal met!

And, unlike yesterday, I managed to post this before midnight. I'm on a roll!

Bread

George told me to post a pic of food. So here's some bread.

Memory Card Month - Day 18

This weekend my mom is taking a big step with her company: She is participating in a wedding show! She has a booth at the wedding show in Catoosa where she will display her kaleidoscopes, necklaces, and other items that she makes.



Today while I was scanning through my memory card, I stumbled upon these photos of a piece I commissioned from Mom. It's a Christmas ornament in honor of Travis and Veronica. I sent my mother V&T's wedding invitation, some confetti from their rehearsal dinner, and pressed flower petals from their wedding reception. Mom took those items & incorporated V&T's wedding colors (orange and blue) into this beautiful ornament.

Here's hoping some people at the wedding show appreciate Mom's work and she gets an order or two. Or ten!

Lying for a living - Part 2

Today's photo is NEW! It is a shot of the front door to the Admissions Office for Duke University's medical school. What do you think it means when such a competitive school is trying to instill hope in their prospective students? Hmmm ...

Anyway, I took this photo yesterday while I was at Duke for my very first day as a Standardized Patient (yes, that's my job title). I spent a couple of hours in a classroom with 2 faculty members and about a dozen first year medical students. I pretended to be a patient named Alexis who was suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. One by one, the students interviewed me about my symptoms, potention causes of my recent flare up, and potential treatment options. It was a complicated case that forced us to discuss a LOT of uncomfortable subjects. Talk about long form improv! Geez! But seriously, it was fun. The students were really engaged in the exercise and I was really impressed by their professionalism and sympathy. You would have that that they'd been in medical school for longer than a few weeks. Luckily, they seemed to love me, too. One of the faculty - the one who seemed the most critical & hard to please - told me that I was "wonderful". And everyone was surprised that this was my first time to be a Standardized Patient. Hopefully this is good news and means that I'll be called in to fake many more illness in the future! Wee!

I know this was an odd acting job - so odd that I don't even know how to put it on my resume. At times I found it very stressful, but I really enjoyed it. I felt that I was making a very positive contribution to the education of these students. Plus it was kinda invigorating to do SO much improvising! It's been ages since I've had an opportunity to do any sort of acting, so it felt really good to have a taste of it again.

Or to put it another way, working for Duke gave me hope.

Clover necklace

While I was climbing over slippery rocks with Tim and Ray, my mother made a necklace for me with some flowers she found along the trail to the waterfall. Somebody needs to teach me how to do this 'cause I think it's pretty cool.

Waterfalls & peeps

Ray next to Hooker Falls. Heh.


Tim triumphantly standing in front of High Falls. Love it when that man gets goofy.


It was REALLY hard to get to the base of these falls. Harder still to get back up to the trail again. I sprained my wrist while pulling myself up on a hunk of tree. Yes, my wrist! It really hurt!
I shall now pause while some of you pat my head condescendingly.

Note that I have lost 20 pounds since this photo was taken. And I'm posting it anyway! See, Mom? No one is safe! Not even me!