I lost contact with my blog after Sweetie and I bought a house last year. We have had such a great time working on the backyard (well, not really a great time, but rewarding time). But, I grew frustrated with my job situation and knew it was time to move on. I knew that to save my professional viability, I had to move on and do it this year. So, now I'm 1,000 miles away from Sweetie, our beautiful home, and kind, caring, fun neighbors.
It's a new journey now and I am going to make it work!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Fall Light
The leaves are down. The mornings are frosty. Our annuals have long since been thrown into a pile in our future flower bed in the backyard. The deck furniture has been moved out of the elements. And all that remains now is a watering can. Why we've left it out there, I'm not quite sure. There's nothing left to be watered. Maybe it's a last vestige of summer to console us.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tranquil places
Sweetie and I spent nearly one month in Japan this October. It had been almost two years since we had been to Japan, and this trip wasn't as rushed as last time, so we were able to enjoy visiting various places that were sentimental to us. Sweetie had previously lived in Kamakura, so that was one spot we wanted to revisit. On our way there, we stopped at a lesser-known temple, which offered some welcome quiet and tranquility. It was fun to explore the cemetery up the hillside, and dodge the giant spider webs that proved very few people made their way up that far.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
My Addiction
I am addicted to saving money. I like to think that I'm not one of those people who spends money to save money, and I think this is generally true. Approximately 90 percent of my non-food shopping is done online, mostly because I can't tolerate visits to our local mall.
My most recent online orders have been a set of guest towels (actually, TWO full sets, of organic towels for $40 including shipping), and a belt for Sweetie because he left his beloved, reversible, Mont Blanc belt in a hotel room recently (and not surprisingly, the cleaning staff did not report it as being found...).
My most favorite shopping sites are bargain fashion sites. But I should tell you all about www.ebates.com. Go there. Register. And remember to go there first whenever you want to shop on any one of many hundreds of different websites. You will get a percentage CASH back (well, actually a check). I've been using ebates for about a year, and have saved about $50 already. Of course, the MOST popular online shopping sites, like Amazon, are not on ebates, but soooo many ARE.
Happy shopping!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Great Curry Disaster and other adventures
Yes, again I have transgressed and seriously neglected the blog. I blame it all on the New House. The Trip to Hawaii. My new Obsession with buying art on eBay. The Trip to
Chicago. Choose any or all of the above.
The New House
The pictures are hung. The cars are in the garage. And I've planted pots and pots of annuals to brighten up the deck. The wicker furniture is arranged on the lower deck and is accompanied by a lovely iron plantstand I picked up for 25 cents at a garage sale (had to get there the second the seller on an upscale street dragged the for-sale goods out of her garage at the strike of 8AM on a Friday morning). We have Japanese katori senko (mosquito coils) and citronella candles in reserves for evening drinks and dinners outside.
Speaking of which, last week we hosted a party for 23 and then a dinner for 6 the next night. And then I promptly fell ill just as we were headed to Chicago for a fabulous weekend with Sweetie's daughter who was visiting from England. Heftily drugged on Tylenol, I persevered through a most amazing dinner at a restaurant called The Gage on Michigan Avenue. Fabulous food and even better service. Not cheap, however. Gochisosama Sweetie!!
I booked us into Second City's show, "The Best Frickin' Time of Your Life," which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I busted up laughing at the solidly-built ladies' singing "Reubenesque."
We had brunch at the Fox and Obel on the recommendation of a chef I randomly met in Indianapolis, who is originally from the town where we live now. Little did we know that we had stumbled into the just-opened "bistro" at the Fox and Obel, and were not in fact eating at the "cafe" that had been recommended. Well, despite some service issues (which were explained in a conversation we overheard), we had a wonderful brunch. We totally cracked up, when, AFTER eating, it occurred to us that not only was Sweedle's bacon served on Sweetie's plate, but we realized that a nearby diner's Eggs Benedict was ALSO on Sweetie's plate, which explained why that customer got served AFTER we did, even though he was there before us. So, essentially, Sweetie unwittingly ate three people's breakfast.
We followed brunch with a river cruise with the Chicago Architectual Foundation. We'd previously done their bus tour, and I really enjoyed seeing a different part of Chicago. I especially loved the housing developments along the North Fork.
After our return, my cold transitioned into a mystery illness. I unofficially called it West Nile Virus. It involved blurred vision so bad one day that I couldn't even read emails or see people's faces properly at work. And then it resulted in...
The Great Curry Disaster
So, after a long, blurry and confused day at work, I stopped at the grocery store, picked up a few things, and then proceeded to make an Indian dal. The recipe called for pureeing, so I got out the Vitamix and spooned about 1/2 the cooked soup in. I carefully put the lid, on, held it, and then turned the Vitamix on. And then...the soup exploded out of the Vitamix and all over the kitchen. And all over me. I was wearing glasses, but it nevertheless was on my eyelashes. It was in my hair. It was on anything within about a 15 foot radius (open plan kitchen). The cookbooks were dripping in it. The cupboards were covered. The flattop cooktop was encased. Sweetie ran over and flipped out: "Oh my god!!!! What happened here?????"
What happened is in my ill, confused, West-Nile-afflicted state, I had forgotten to start the Vitamix on low.
After a massive cleanup effort (Sweetie calmed down quickly and did most of the work), we sat down to dinner and Sweedle very graciously said, "This is delicious." And then I broke into tears.
Chicago. Choose any or all of the above.
The New House
The pictures are hung. The cars are in the garage. And I've planted pots and pots of annuals to brighten up the deck. The wicker furniture is arranged on the lower deck and is accompanied by a lovely iron plantstand I picked up for 25 cents at a garage sale (had to get there the second the seller on an upscale street dragged the for-sale goods out of her garage at the strike of 8AM on a Friday morning). We have Japanese katori senko (mosquito coils) and citronella candles in reserves for evening drinks and dinners outside.
Speaking of which, last week we hosted a party for 23 and then a dinner for 6 the next night. And then I promptly fell ill just as we were headed to Chicago for a fabulous weekend with Sweetie's daughter who was visiting from England. Heftily drugged on Tylenol, I persevered through a most amazing dinner at a restaurant called The Gage on Michigan Avenue. Fabulous food and even better service. Not cheap, however. Gochisosama Sweetie!!
I booked us into Second City's show, "The Best Frickin' Time of Your Life," which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I busted up laughing at the solidly-built ladies' singing "Reubenesque."
We had brunch at the Fox and Obel on the recommendation of a chef I randomly met in Indianapolis, who is originally from the town where we live now. Little did we know that we had stumbled into the just-opened "bistro" at the Fox and Obel, and were not in fact eating at the "cafe" that had been recommended. Well, despite some service issues (which were explained in a conversation we overheard), we had a wonderful brunch. We totally cracked up, when, AFTER eating, it occurred to us that not only was Sweedle's bacon served on Sweetie's plate, but we realized that a nearby diner's Eggs Benedict was ALSO on Sweetie's plate, which explained why that customer got served AFTER we did, even though he was there before us. So, essentially, Sweetie unwittingly ate three people's breakfast.
We followed brunch with a river cruise with the Chicago Architectual Foundation. We'd previously done their bus tour, and I really enjoyed seeing a different part of Chicago. I especially loved the housing developments along the North Fork.
After our return, my cold transitioned into a mystery illness. I unofficially called it West Nile Virus. It involved blurred vision so bad one day that I couldn't even read emails or see people's faces properly at work. And then it resulted in...
The Great Curry Disaster
So, after a long, blurry and confused day at work, I stopped at the grocery store, picked up a few things, and then proceeded to make an Indian dal. The recipe called for pureeing, so I got out the Vitamix and spooned about 1/2 the cooked soup in. I carefully put the lid, on, held it, and then turned the Vitamix on. And then...the soup exploded out of the Vitamix and all over the kitchen. And all over me. I was wearing glasses, but it nevertheless was on my eyelashes. It was in my hair. It was on anything within about a 15 foot radius (open plan kitchen). The cookbooks were dripping in it. The cupboards were covered. The flattop cooktop was encased. Sweetie ran over and flipped out: "Oh my god!!!! What happened here?????"
What happened is in my ill, confused, West-Nile-afflicted state, I had forgotten to start the Vitamix on low.
After a massive cleanup effort (Sweetie calmed down quickly and did most of the work), we sat down to dinner and Sweedle very graciously said, "This is delicious." And then I broke into tears.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Still not in Kansas anymore
After nearly two years, we are still adjusting to life as relative strangers in a strange land. Only 3.5 hours by car from my hometown, it's still nothing like home. We try to find the amusement in it all as much as possible.
Today, I received a catalog in the mail. In the first pages are hunting clothes. Then you find gun holsters. After that are $2000 pairs of binoculars (for hunting??). And then I saw something that I was sure was a wine refrigerator, but it was a food dehydrator. A few pages later, I finally found my wine refrigerator. But wait, no, it's a "smoker with window."
Proselytizing
Everyone we meet asks us what religion we are. They all want us to join their church. And there's nothing subtle about it. One neighbor announced the first time we met her that she was sending her pastor to our house to "call on us." Apparently, all British people must be Episcopalian. It told Sweetie that we're about to become Quaker by default because it's the only way to fend off the proselytizers.
Today, I received a catalog in the mail. In the first pages are hunting clothes. Then you find gun holsters. After that are $2000 pairs of binoculars (for hunting??). And then I saw something that I was sure was a wine refrigerator, but it was a food dehydrator. A few pages later, I finally found my wine refrigerator. But wait, no, it's a "smoker with window."
Proselytizing
Everyone we meet asks us what religion we are. They all want us to join their church. And there's nothing subtle about it. One neighbor announced the first time we met her that she was sending her pastor to our house to "call on us." Apparently, all British people must be Episcopalian. It told Sweetie that we're about to become Quaker by default because it's the only way to fend off the proselytizers.
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