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Winter Returns or Winter's Revenge!
• Thursday, November 30, 2006 • 3:49 PM
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It is officially winter now. The past few weeks the temperatures have been unusually warm, in the 70s and sometimes even above. And I was loving it! But now, winter is back in business, and with enthusiasm. It rained and sleeted most of the night as the temperatures plummeted, freezing everything. Our cars were encased in ice this morning. My car is particularly difficult to open once it has been frozen over, and so far I haven't had any luck prying open either door. I'm very much regretting having left my gym bag in my car. My brush, shampoo, makeup and everything else is in there! I had to be creative this morning.
Later today, the weather is supposed to get worse. We are supposed to get more freezing rain, and then several inches of snow. Yuck!
Despite the obvious drawbacks, the chilly weather does make our house seem very cozy. It has good insulation and stays very warm. It is especially festive now that we have a Christmas tree. We picked up a soft Douglas fir tree on Monday at the local hardware store. I'd never bought a fir before. Because they don't grow very well here, they are more expensive(we have mostly pine). Its needles are so soft. It is also the tallest we've had, nearly touching the ceiling. After sawing, trimming branches, and fiddling with old half burnt out lights, it's finally looking ready! We made a trip to Target for some new light strands and I put most of the ornaments on it last night. Usually I don't put up a tree this early, but I'm glad I did it before the weather got so bad. I'm feeling particularly prepared this year; I even have nearly all of my shopping done! Next on the agenda is wrapping presents. The very last of them should arrive in the mail this week. I did all of my Christmas shopping online this year, and it has worked out very nicely. I highly recommend it! I love getting packages, even if they aren't for me, hehe.
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Thanksgiving
• Friday, November 24, 2006 • 2:31 PM
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This is a delayed post, sorry guys. I did write it the day after Thanksgiving, but it didn't get posted immediately.
Ahh, yesterday was a good Thanksgiving day. Everyone was in a good mood, all of the food turned out good, and we even have some tasty leftovers in our fridge to enjoy. I made a vegetarian pecan-based gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, acorn squash, green beans, and I also provided a salad. My mom brought some turkey (I'm a vegetarian, but my policy is that as long as I am not expected to cook it or eat it, it's fine with me), sweet potato biscuits, a creamy cranberry salad, and the best homemade pumpkin and pecan pies.
The gravy and mashed sweet potatoes came out particularly well for me. Yum! I'm honestly a bit surprised that all of my things turned out as well as they did, because this is probably the least planning I've ever done for Thanksgiving. It was certainly a less stress, more fun holiday. :) We have several days of good leftovers ahead of us. I'm particularly looking forward to having sweet potato biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Postscript:
Oh, the biscuits and gravy were so good. They only lasted two days! The day after Thanksgiving was a great, relaxed day, too. I did a few things around that house and then went to the gym for the afternoon and had a personal training session (I got a free session with my gym membership). I was lifting weights and overheard a conversation about "working off the pumpkin pie". Hurrah for relaxed four day weekends! I hadn't had a more relaxing break in ages.
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A Day of Gifts
• Wednesday, November 22, 2006 • 1:03 PM
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As if today couldn't get any better... my boss just told me to leave an hour early today! Yayayay!
The night before last, Keith gave me one of my Christmas presents (really early!) because he said that he thought I'd be really excited about it and he couldn't wait. And me, liking presents, said that would be fine with me, hehe. It turns out, the present is a yoga video! He's right, I am really excited about it. In fact, I had to try it last night (sadly it was too late for me to use it the night I received it). Keith, being a good sport, did yoga with me. It is a great video; it was very relaxing and a lot of fun. Well, it was relaxing for us anyway. Mr. Mister cat saw us laying on the floor, doing synchronized movements, and freaked out! He stood between us and stared at us, then started meowing and sniffing us. We had to pet him and speak calmly in order to convince him that we were ok. He finally tentatively settled next to us, tucking his paws under his chest, as if to keep an eye on us.
This morning I went to a 6 a.m. yoga class at the gym. I had never been to an actual class before. I'm pretty yoga ignorant. In fact, the video is the first yoga experience I've had. But so far, I'm reaaaaaly liking it. I'm incredibly non-flexible (My back is a bit crooked, which contributes to my overall stiffness), but I've always wanted to see if I could change that. It felt good to stretch my muscles and ligaments, made a bit tender by yesterday's treadmill/stair stepper bout.
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I dig your tiny fangs...
• Tuesday, November 21, 2006 • 11:57 AM
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This bat necklace reminds me of the bats that hunt bugs in our backyard during the warmer summer months. Hurry up, winter. C'mon, back to summer already! I think bats are really cute. Though, I'm not sure a lot of people would agree with me.
Via Happy Owl Glassworks.
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• 11:33 AM
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Ahh, another great gym workout this morning. I tried the stair stepper thing today a.k.a the escalator to nowhere. I'm clumsy and had to look at the stairs, instead of straight ahead like everyone else, lest I trip. Also, do not attempt to wear spike heels after 30+ minutes on the treadmill followed by a stair stepper workout. Ouch.
Mao Mao cat seems to be a bit dismayed by my new wakeup time. This morning she managed to huridly stumble up to her dish to receive her breakfast. She ate her food in a sort of confused stupor. Luca however was happy, simply because she likes to eat; she was already waiting by her dish. Mao Mao prefers to sleep in a little more, regardless, apparently.
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I didn't fall off of the treadmill! (and other triumphs of the day)
• Monday, November 20, 2006 • 7:43 PM
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This morning I got up at 5 am and headed for the gym. I didn't expect the gym to be so busy at 5:40 am on a Monday morning, but it was packed! I suppose that makes sense really, but still, 5:40 am! Though even with all of the people it didn't really seem crowded. I didn't have to wait to use anything.
I was a bit apprehensive because, while I've always be active and athletic, I've never actually used gym equipment before (other than some very limited use of weight machines). I've always been into running, inline skating, martial arts, or other things that don't require any machines or complex equipment. I was still/ am still really excited about the possibility of getting a gym membership. I'm just feeling really ignorant about gym equipment. And ironically, the person that I met with Sunday to give me a tour of the gym seemed to think that I am some sort of experienced gym type person, despite my denying this. ?? I'm supposed to have a meeting with a personal trainer on Thursday to show me how to do stuff correctly and make a "training plan" for me. So, I'm free to be a goofy noob until then.
This morning I spotted a simple looking stationary bike with no fancy looking digital stuff tacked onto it, so I thought I'd start there. That worked out fairly well for me as a nice warm up. I did rather embarrassingly lose one of the pedals at one point, when my foot slipped out, hehe. After that, I did some stretching and then decided to try a treadmill. I had never used a treadmill before, but it was pretty easy to figure out. I didn't fall off or anything. For which I am thankful, haha. I like the treadmill a lot, although it seems to be much, much easier than actual running, even on faster settings. Still, I had a good workout. I'm looking forward to going back!
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Sleeping Like Butter?
• Sunday, November 19, 2006 • 10:42 PM
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Today was a pretty good day! It was not overly busy, yet satisfying. The power went out early this morning, but I still woke up, even without the help of my alarm. I got up and cleaned around the house. The house really wasn't that bad, so I was mostly done, excepting the vacuuming, by the end of the morning. And Keith is going to do the vacuuming for me, so I'm really feeling pretty good that, haha. Later in the day we ran a bunch of errands that needed to be done.
One of my errands today was to check out a gym, Wilson's Fitness, that I'm seriously considering getting a membership to. It just about kills me to pay for it, but I really think that it will be worth it. I've always been particularly sad when winter rolls around, because I can no longer rollerblade. Not being able to rollerblade, I then tend to become more sedentary that I'm comfortable with. Besides the usual access to treadmills, etc., I can take unlimited classes. Including yoga! Yay! Sooo very excited... I'm doing a free trial this week, so I'll see how it goes.
And as if I wasn't already excited enough, we are also getting a new mattress!! Whoohoo! Our current mattress is from the early 80s, maybe even earlier. It has a big dent in one side that we tend to roll into. It wasn't always so bad, but over the past year it has gotten worse and worse and now I'm constantly waking up with back pain. Mercifully, the mattress is Keith's Christmas present from his parents. But, it will be like a gift for me as well, by default. :) I feel very lucky.
We are currently shopping around for the right mattress. Firstly, we decided that we would upgrade to a queen from our current standard double. I tend to end up sleeping diagonally, plus all of the cats like to snuggle up to us. So far, Keith really likes the sleep number beds. I think that he likes them in particular because either side can be adjusted independently. I like a firm mattress (mainly because of my back), while he likes a softer one. I think that the sales guy thought I was a bit extreme when I had set mine to "100", while Keith had his side set at "45". On a side note, it was a bit unsettling to lay on a bed, trying to lay as if I would at home, while mall shoppers passed by. It also felt really weird when the sales guy was adjusting the firmness number up and down and I had a hard time not laughing. It kind of tickled or something? Meanwhile he was saying "You will begin to feel yourself melting into the bed..." It felt like some sort of twisted butter hypnosis session.
Alternatively, I've been looking into natural latex beds, which are similar to "memory foam" beds, but don't have the noxious chemicals and degradation problems. They are also naturally unfriendly to dust mites, mildew, and microbes. With the queen size, it is possible to choose a different firmness for each side. They are pricey, yikes, but do seem to be pretty comparable in price to the sleep number beds. I don't know, we are undecided as of yet. I'm still wading through metafilter threads and online reviews. Whatever we end up choosing, I'm sure that we will be very happy. Simply having a level surface will be bliss!
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• Thursday, November 16, 2006 • 4:14 PM
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Ahh, yesterday was my last dentist appointment in a recent dental blitz. I just had to go in for a simple cleaning yesterday. They used baking soda. Mmmm, salty. I had a fine coating of the stuff all over my face.
Previously, I had three cavities; the first that I have ever had. I guess my extremely good luck couldn't last forever. The week before last, I had the fillings done. They were not very bad cavities, and I'm quite glad. I'd never had any kind of anesthetic before. It was hilarious! I went back to work afterwards and my office mates were making up things for me to say in ultra-slurred speech and laughing at my attempts. I did refrain from answering the phone, though it would have been awesome! "Hewwoooo, how may I heewwlp woo? Dooo nowt be alawrmmmed, my teeefs are juss nummmm!"
Keith had his tooth worked on Monday. His root canal went well, though they discovered the true problem: his tooth had actually been fractured, which is what then allowed it to become infected. Yikes! But, it's doing better now, and he will get a crown put on it in about a month. He is still taking pain meds, but thankfully it seems to be better.
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Ewwww
• Wednesday, November 15, 2006 • 8:13 AM
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Oh, today is so yucky. It's cold, drizzly, gray, and later all of this is supposed to turn into snow. Snow is fun for about an hour (I have to admit, I love sledding), but then it's just cold, slushy, and annoying. All of this lamenting, and we are only supposed to get about an inch of snow, haha. I suppose I will survive. Probably.
But, this guy looks all ready for cold weather:
This is supposed to be for kids... but I secretly want one. At Mahar Drygoods. See also: Perhaps the cutest play food set ever. (Would this count as an Ikea hack? I recognize the "bento box" as a container from Ikea.)
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Bug Day!
• Tuesday, November 14, 2006 • 8:05 PM
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Today, November 14, is bug day, as declaired by me and my best friend, when I was in third grade. We had a bug themed party, with kiddie bake type cakes we decorated to look like spiders and grasshoppers. We put spray cheese on crackers and put little pretzel pieces on top, sticking out of the cheese, to make legs. We made big spiderwebs with yarn and got out our tubs of plastic bugs for decorations. We made my mom be kind to bugs. It was awesome. And I still love bugs.
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Rain!
• Monday, November 13, 2006 • 10:05 AM
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It's raining here. And that means... rain boots! I actually don't have any rain boots, but I wish I did. And Target has some very cute ones right now.
I can't decide which pair is my favorite.
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Ikea Semi-Hack Pics
• Sunday, November 12, 2006 • 9:20 AM
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Here are some shots of my new shelves. Not only are they intended to be useful, but they are also an attempt to cover up the crummy looking side of the two cabinets above my stove that don't quite meet properly (why did the previous owners think that was a good idea?). I'm hoping that it will work better when I get some sort of art up there in the blank spaces between the shelves... possibly to further distract from the gap.
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Surreal Times
• Saturday, November 11, 2006 • 10:29 PM
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The last two days have been an insane mix of unexpected events. Yesterday morning, I woke up to find Keith already awake and in intense pain. He's been having tooth pain for awhile now, and we had gotten him a dentist appointment, but it was scheduled for the 22nd. And needless to say, this could not wait until the 22nd. I immediately called the dentist and called in to work. But, I discovered that the entire dentist's office is away this week, giving free dental care to impoverished Mexicans. Very kindly, though unfortunate for us. I had to call another dentist; they said that they could see Keith at 8 am. Meanwhile, Keith had discovered that keeping water on his tooth kept it from hurting. This meant that he had to keep a bottle of water with him at all times, as well as drink a lot of water.
Once at the dentist, they thankfully prescribed a painkiller as well as an antibiotic. As it turns out, Keith has a bad cavity that will probably require a root canal. It is a type of cavity that is sensitive to carbohydrates, and was probably inflamed by the corn flakes he had eaten that morning. We went directly to Schnuck's after the dentist, to get the prescriptions filled and to get Keith something carb-free to eat. I went in, only to find that the pharmacist was late. Even after completing my shopping she had not yet arrived. And I was not the only one waiting for her. A man delivering medicine to the pharmacy was seated next to the pharmacy window. We rolled our eyes, in unspoken solidarity. He revealed that she is late each morning. But, she did eventually arrive. I was very relieved, worrying about Keith waiting for me in the car. But, we made it home with the necessities. After the meds began to kick in (it took several hours) Keith started feeling much better and was able to get some rest and eat a cheese and mushroom omelet.
Right when we thought the traumatic day was finally over, we were lying in bed, just about to fall asleep, when we heard a loud banging outside. Our neighbor had asked us to watch his house while he was away for the night, so I thought I had better check it out. As it turns out, the noise was not originating from his house, but the house across the street. A group of police were knocking loudly on the door, and when they got no answer, they rammed the door and flooded in with their guns up. No police cars were visible, probably to avoid alerting whomever they suspected to be inside. All in all, 10 officers converged on the house, carefully searching each room. More police arrived, including a van that appeared to be full of evidence collecting equipment. The police did not find anyone inside, and they must not have found any evidence either, because I did not see them take anything from the house. Eventually, they all dispersed. It was a surreal experience. They shut the broken door, but left all of the lights on, though it had previously been dark. I did speak to an officer before they left, as I was very curious by this time. He explained that they were looking for a man that was living there. They didn't divulge what he was wanted for, but did mention that he was dangerous and that he shouldn't be approached. I was instructed to call the police immediately should I see anyone at the house. By this time, I was thinking something along the lines of "holy s**t!". We eventually went back to bed, after a few lock checks.
This afternoon, I was visited by a TV reporter and two newspaper reporters, wanting to know if I knew anything about the person who lived across the street. As it turns out, he is the a suspect in a murder. Ironically enough, the landlord of the house across the street promised (before they moved in): "This time, we are going to find you some good neighbors!" Yeah, I think he'll have to try again on that one. But, hey, the next neighbors *have* to be better, right? Yikes!
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Moonbeam
• Thursday, November 09, 2006 • 8:02 AM
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I'm loving this reproduction Moonbeam clock. I especially love the green, but they have several very cute colors.
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Delirium
• Wednesday, November 08, 2006 • 8:14 AM
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I'm drooling over another great paper site, at Paper Mojo.
Of particular interest to me:
Forty sheets of origami paper, found in the alluring potluck paper packs section.
Chiyogami (Yuzen) papers; particularly love the "blossoms and swirls" pattern. I'm considering framing a sheet to hang on the other side of my new kitchen shelves.
Of the non-Japanese papers, I was oogling at the bookbinder's marbles particularly the green (first on the page) and the red (about a third of the way down).
And lastly, this leaf impressions paper is very interesting.
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Crafty Hootches Shop at Hobby Lobby
• Tuesday, November 07, 2006 • 10:09 AM
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I have a large collection of fortune cookie fortunes that I have saved, thinking that they must be good for something. I've finally come up with a project that will incorporate them/get them off of my shelf. As aforementioned, I need some sort of artwork or something to hang in my kitchen, adjacent to my new shelves. So, I'm going to make a collage of sorts with all of the best fortunes to hang in the empty spot. Now that's killing two birds with one stone! (Not that I would approve of killing any birds, being a mild mannered veggie, but "carrots" just doesn't work as well in that sentence.)
Last night I went to Hobby Lobby buy some Royal Coat glue/lacquer for my project, but naturally I ended up wandering around the store looking at other things as well. I found a whole isle of iron on letters, including kits specifically designed to be ironed onto the ass of your short shorts. And most pathetically, they were nearly sold out. My favorite one proclaims "sassy", though I suppose two of those letters aren't really necessary. So yeah, I bought the last "sassy" kit, which I have plans to incorporate into our random Christmas gift exchange at work (there is always a gag gift component involved). I'm secretly hoping that one of the quietest of us receives it.
Besides perusing the 'iron on hootch' kits, I also found some very cute mini-sized bottles of sparkling cider. Not only do I love sparkling cider, but I had been trying to find some smallish bottles that would be appropriate for filling with homemade bath salts to give as Christmas gifts. I win!
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Belated Ikea Love
• Monday, November 06, 2006 • 10:00 AM
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So, well, the last time I posted (so long ago you may have to re-read, sigh) I mentioned our trip to Ikea. Also purchased at Ikea where some small metal/wire shelves for my kitchen. And then, the shelves went the way of my blog. They sat there, on my counter, taking up space, until yesterday. But, now they are up, right above my stove! And I love them! I finally have enough room for all of my cooking supplies. Well, almost enough room, haha. I have nearly infinite amounts of spices, oils, etc and I'm always somehow convincing myself to try another one.
The shelves were designed to hang from hooks on a rail, but I screwed them onto the side of the cabinets above the stove instead. Specifically, they are from the GRUNDTAL accessory collection, but the shelves I bought are not available at Ikea online. I repurposed one of the hooks that was originally intended to suspend the shelves to hold my measuring cups and spoons. I'm working on coming up with some sort of pictures or artwork to hang next to the shelves.
All of this talk about my shelves reminds me to spout about my cordless drill/screwdriver thing that I love so very much. I feel like an expert wielding it. Though that was quickly dispelled when I fell off of my awkward perch, atop the stove, and had to start over. I have yet to wipe off the footprint, even though I made grilled cheese for lunch afterward. But still, the shelves haven't fallen down (yet) so I consider it a success!
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