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I can’t even count the number of times I’ve sat down to write this post. But every time I have, nothing comes to mind. What does one say after such a long absence? I know half of you are thinking that I should talk about my kitchen, and I will, just maybe not in this post. But truth be told, the kitchen is the last thing on my mind lately. It seems the two percent of my brain that isn’t currently dedicated to school just isn’t enough, and is going in a wide array of directions, most of which I cannot keep up with any longer. But we do what we have to do, right? So I try to keep up.
I don’t think I’ve actually told this to anyone, and I’m still not sure why I am, except, you know, all you people (you know who you are) won’t leave me alone about my blogging absence. For me, it comes down to fairness. I write here for pleasure, but I also just write for pleasure. The five manuscripts collecting virtual dust on my hard drive are just as important to me as my measly blog, and since I can’t take time to give them some words, I find it hard to give my measly blog some. It may sound stupid, but that’s the bottom line.
I haven’t come to complete terms with it yet, but I am beginning to realize that I need to write somewhere. And since I can’t dedicate hours upon hours to my fictional characters, I suppose I can dedicate a few hours a week to the real characters in my life. I won’t be here often (not that I ever really was), but on the flip side, I also won’t be elsewhere in the blog world very much.
I signed on to my reader account recently and began going through the hundreds of posts that I’d never gotten around to reading. Eventually, I just bypassed most of them, and will start fresh from now on. I apologize for everything I missed, and really wish I had the time to catch up. I’m working on getting into this new routine, but I’m sure you all will know when I finally find my footing.
So, I had planned on telling you the story of my cowboy, but didn’t feel like putting up a post three miles long. Please forgive me.
To sum it all up, it was a joke.
This past weekend the warehouse where Derek works put on its first annual hi-lo rodeo. One person from each warehouse throughout the States was chosen to compete. He was the chosen one from Michigan.
It was held here, at the warehouse where he works. And since he heard about this months ago, he’s been dreading it all along. One day a few weeks ago, I was telling my Aunt about it and she offered to let him borrow her husband’s chaps and cowboy hat. And of course I told her there was no way he would ever do that.
I was wrong. He did it. And it was awesome. Everyone else laughed in the beginning, and a lot of people asked him if that was how he normally dressed.
They had a series of events in which they had to perform using the hi-lo’s. Some involved moving stuff around, some involved pretty intricate maneuvering. And then there was a written test at the end.
He ended up getting second place, and later found out it was only by a few measly points. So someone from California won the five day trip to the Caribbean. Someone who gets warm weather year-round won the trip. And us Michiganders, who suffer frigid temperatures half the year didn’t. I’m not bitter at all. No really, the guy worked hard for it and deserved it in the end, so I can’t really complain. I told Derek he couldn’t get another job until he wins me a trip. He laughed.
It was actually a really fun weekend. They put us up at Motor City Casino downtown and we ate fabulous food and got to see an awesome Tigers game. I think baseball is officially my sport of choice to watch. It seems to be the one I understand the most. And by that I do not mean that I completely understand it, because I don’t. I just seem to understand it a bit more than the others.
They were tied in the ninth inning and the Tigers ended up winning in the extra inning.
We didn’t have any time to really explore and walk around downtown, which I really wanted to do, but managed to snap some photos from our hotel room window. This first picture is what you saw when you looked one way.
And looking the other way, destruction was all around. Here is Michigan Central Station, which I am so glad they haven’t torn down. I’m pretty sure there isn’t one window left unbroken.
And here is what’s left of old Tiger stadium.
In all honesty, I wasn’t looking forward to the weekend very much either, but it turned out to be better than either of us had imagined.
***
Tomorrow morning, I am escaping Michigan and driving to Virginia to spend the weekend with the girls in the lovely Shenandoah Valley. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.
If someone had asked me seven years ago when Derek and I met if I thought I’d ever see a day where Derek was dressed up in chaps, spurs and a cowboy hat, there wouldn’t have been a breath of air between the end of the question and my firm ‘NO!’
Well, I officially have myself a cowboy.
Minus a horse. And a saddle. And…ok, minus a many things. But unlike many other cowboy’s, mine has a hi-lo!
I made him buy that shirt a few month’s ago in spite of all his whining. He said it made him look like a farmer. That’s when I jumped in and said, “Well, WHY do you think I want you to buy it? You look HOT!” And I may have used a few other phrases that I won’t repeat on this family friendly blog. What is it about farmers and cowboys, anyway?
I’d say it did its job well. He sure had my blood churning.
You know, sometimes being curious can be an adventure. Other times? Not so much.
Last night, I walked into the living room to find Keiko pouncing around on the rug like a cat, putting something in his mouth, throwing it and then chasing after it once again. He does this with tennis balls and other toys. But last night, it looked to me that he was simply being a little insane and chasing after nothing in general, probably a burst of air or something. Because he’s done that before, too.
Turns out, as I turned to walk away, a small black ball landed near my feet and he was once again pouncing on it. Well, not so much on it, but next to it. Then carefully picking it up again and continuing to play with it.
And okay, here goes. I cannot believe I am about to type this. Just thinking about it is forcing me to relive the entire experience, and that is one that I would gladly go another hundred years without reliving. It was THAT bad. Thinking it was just something simple, I picked up the black ball, which then decided to do away with it’s protective ball shape and turn once again into a spider.
I picked up a spider. With my bare hands. And what happened next wasn’t my brightest moment, I’ll say that much. To use the phrase, ‘I screamed like a girl’, is an understatement. Because I didn’t, I threw that thing and was quivering on the couch probably within two seconds of actually picking it up. And of course, Keiko is thinking we’re playing, so he chases it, picks it up and brings it back to me. Why thank you, Keiko. How generous of you!
Anyway, the story doesn’t end there. I worked up the courage to pick it up with a tissue and put it in a glass. Only then did I notice how friggin huge the thing was. I mean, I’m talking the size of a nickel, maybe bigger. And just for the record, I still can’t believe I am still talking about his, because if you asked me at this moment, I’d tell you that millions of spiders were burrowing underneath my skin, ready to eat me from the inside out for killing their cousin. So I carried the glass into the office and looked up the spider on the internet.
The internet is no longer my friend. Not when it can produce such disturbing images. Images, by the way, that kept me up half the night. I never did find out what type of spider it was because the thing decided to start crawling around in the glass and I couldn’t stand being within inches of it anymore. So I put it on a tissue and hit it with my shoe. Because, hello, I am not squeezing that thing between my fingers. And then I even thought about throwing the glass away.
After literally half an hour of researching spiders (who EVER thought I’d say that in my lifetime?), I stumbled across a picture of a black widow and it did me in. But not before etching nightmares into my brain that will probably stay there for eternity.
I think I may have a slight problem. And I may have to wear gloves for the rest of my life.
Here are some things I am currently loving:
The Uniform Project. I think the idea of this is genius and love looking at the different creations! Not to mention the cause.
Thriving Ivory. I first downloaded their single “Angels on the moon”, and the other day I saw the album for cheap on iTunes, so I downloaded it. And I am loving it!
The Guggenheim Grotto. My sister turned me onto these guys, and their album is great. I do believe I’ve always had a weakness when it comes to Irish men, though.
Some things I am currently looking forward to:
August. The first weekend in August, I am going to visit my Aunt in Virginia. I can’t even remember the last time I was there! The second weekend we are going to our cottage in the U.P. It’s been two years since we’ve been there! And sometime during the month, Kev is coming in from NY! And most importantly, NO! SCHOOL! I’ve got two weeks left of Pharmacology and then it’s free sailing through August.
Landscaping. My husband is out of control right now with building gardens and I honestly hope it does stop some time soon. It very well may take me twelve years to fill it all up! Okay, probably not.
Peppers. This may sound a little weird, but this is my first year planting anything that was actually edible, and the three pepper plants I have are doing awesome! There is already about four peppers on each plant. If you have any great recipes that calls for bell peppers, I beg you to pass them on.
A bunch of my mom’s work is on exhibit at 212 Arts Center in Saline and tonight is the gallery reception. Here is some more info if you’re interested. She’s a star!
Have a great weekend!
So, it’s not actually the weekend yet, but I’m sure most of us wish it was.
A little premature, I know. But the city I live in put on its annual fireworks show this past Sunday. I haven’t been to this particular show in about seven years, and had forgotten just how good a job they do.
My sister-in-law bought a house just a block from the field where they shoot them off, and she had her first annual fireworks party that night. It was a perfect spot.
I’d never photographed fireworks before, so when I decided to try, I was a little taken back by how good they turned out.
It did take quite a bit of tweaking during the whole show, but it was fun!
Hope everyone has a wonderful fourth of July weekend!
Just in case any of you didn’t know just how much of a dork I really am, I will tell you that I am sitting here patiently waiting for Derek to get home so we can go out to dinner with some friends and then head over to IMAX to see Transformers 2.
And you have no idea just how excited I am to finally see it!
So, to kill some time, I will tell you about one tuesday morning when I headed over to Kel’s to get my hair trimmed. Not expecting to have nearly enough to donate, she measured it and revealed nine inches.
So I lopped it off. Instead of reiterating what Kel has already posted, I am just going to lead you to her post about it.
Here are some other before and after pictures as well. The weekend before we took a trip to the DIA.
And the weekend after, we went and saw the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
I am donating it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths and eventually I know I will do it again.
Once everyone, including myself, got over the shock of the drastic change, it seems to be accepted now. But most of all, it just feels great to know that it will help a woman out there, and for that, it’s worth it.
So, ummm…hi? Remember me?
I didn’t actually mean to disappear from the blogging portion of my life. It just sort of happened. I won’t make any promises, just say that I will try not to let that happen again.
In the meantime, Keiko will be today’s feature in all his goofy, nerdy glory. Him and I spent an evening together when Kirra stayed overnight at the vet a few weeks ago for an abscess on her…well, let’s just say it wasn’t in a very comfortable spot.
This is the essence of Keiko. With his ears drawn back and that long tongue with nowhere to go. Except, when he was a puppy, he was all ears and tongue.
See?
Why did he have to go and grow up?
Due to time constraints, I am only listing some things I’ve been wanting to talk about, but don’t have time to expand on at the moment. Perhaps I will get around to it in, say, a decade!
-I’ve been ignoring our impeding poison ivy issue, in hopes that if I do ignore it, maybe it will go away. Hey, it works with some things!
-On Mother’s Day, I had a gathering at my house for my mom, grandma, and aunt. Everyone had a wonderful time, and I actually pulled off the party with limited phone time with my mother.
-Instead of constructing an entire vegetable and herb garden this year, I planted some things in containers. So this summer, we should have romaine lettuce, onions, green, red and yellow peppers, along with dill, chives, basil, parsley, rosemary and sage.
-School started this week, and it’s already proving to be only the beginning of my nursing school journey. I am taking Pharmacology and Nutrition this semester, and according to my Pharm teacher, the program doesn’t start in September, it starts now. At that moment, I wanted to curl into a ball and hide in a cave for the next two years.
-Our neighborhood seems to be quite the party place for non-rural creatures. Aside from our deer, I’ve seen a fox hanging out in the backyard, had to pull Keiko away from his run in with a snake that was actually quite large, and seem to find either a spider or ant in the house everyday, something we learned from our neighbor is an ongoing problem, and they’ve lived there thirty years!
-As bummed as I am about all my favorite shows ending for this season, it’s nice to not have to make time to watch them. Bones, which I’ve watched since it started a few years ago, will be missed the most.
-Most of the gardens around my house are already complete. I haven’t done much, other than moving some things around and planting a few new things. They just need to be cleaned up and mulched, which my dad is picking up on his way home from up north this weekend. Nothing beats that fresh cedar mulch scent.
-My mother and I made our annual trip to Block’s, an enormous nursery in Romulus, which is totally worth the trip, and both escaped with minimal damage to our bank accounts. I only bought some coleus and other things for some planters.
-This Sunday, my mother and I are going to Florida to pick up my grandparents. We should be home by Monday evening. Talk about a quick trip!
-I finished The Kite Runner over a week ago, and let me just throw in a quick WOW! I just haven’t had time to begin reading something new yet, that’s why it’s still up there. Hopefully soon!
I do think I could go on and on, but I’ve got stuff to do. Perhaps an exam covering FIVE! chapters after only one class session is enough of an excuse. I’ll be back soon.
We’ve been battling poison ivy for the past week in our household. I knew that it was in the woods, and was very careful, just as I always am. I’ve been very unlucky over the years when it comes to poison ivy, and have learned my lesson many times over. My husband, however, was certain that he was immune to it. That very well may be the case, but it seems that he came into contact with it at the same time he got a nice cut on his leg. He is covered in it.
Anyway, being the way it happened, I ended up with a few patches of it on my legs as well. Go figure.
So, now the hard part comes along. The whole issue of trying to rid our property of the pain in our you-know-what’s. I know it won’t be easy. I don’t expect it to be. But the fact that I cannot for the life of me, seem to identify the plant, isn’t going to play well on that end.
This is identical to the plants I doused in poison ivy killer the other day. Green stems, some were four or five feet tall, and they were everywhere.
Here is one of those that is already wilting from the killer.
Derek pointed out these as I was taking pictures.
That little guy in the middle threw me for a loop.
And this. Let’s just say that the chance of this being poison ivy is unlikely. Otherwise, we’ve got a twenty-some foot poison ivy tree in our backyard.
I am pretty sure this one isn’t. You can’t really see, but the stems are prickly and kind of furry looking.
I’ve found plenty of pictures, and none of them seem to have helped my vision of what is should look like. Can anyone help?!
