And no...I am not referring to the big water problem of impending floods. Yesterday Justin informed me that the hot water heater was leaking and got the basement floor wet (the side with linoleum, fortunately, and not the carpeted side. This evening he informed me that the toilet tank was leaking! YIKES! This is the first time we have had water related problems around the house.
Fortunately, even if the Missourri River floods like it did two years ago (that was strange!) our house will be safe. Our street is an uphill climb and we are pretty close to the top of the hill!
On a completely different note, the bars in my hometown are going to be smoke free! The rules just changed tonight! This is, in my opinion, a sign of progress! And they already have a pretty nice little patio in the back!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Delicious
I was in the produce section this afternoon and was very glad to discover that spring has arrived! Although there is still alot of snow to melt, strawberries are in season! My mouth was instantly watering! Of course, they are always available but instead of costing $3.00+ they are now $1.50 and will probably remain at that price for a few months. Finally I can add some variation to the banana, orange and apple rotation. And strawberries are so cute!
Someone else is happy that spring is on the way as well...
Jake has been getting walks outside lately and I think it's really funny that, although it has been a few months since Andrea and Kirk have taken him on outdoor runs and walks outside of thier fenced yard, he still remembers what it means when a person in gym clothes grabs a few sandwich bags from the drawer and puts them in their pocket! He starts dancing around like a maniac! He's so enthusiastic about everything!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Let It F#^@ing Snow!
It is officially spring although it looks and feels like it could be January so this weekend I did some cleaning around the house. I dusted (ugh) and pulled the living room furniture away from the walls to sweep up all the dust bunnies with my Norwex magic dry mop thing. It was pretty disgusting. Allan was a good helper. He thought it was fun to have the furniture in different places.
I noticed that this little decoration that I won in a Christmas white elephant exchange a few years ago was still on display:
I left it out after Christmas because I thought it was a cute winter decoration. At the moment I don't want to see, or snow in general again! LET IT SNOW My A$$! I want to throw that think into oncoming traffic. This snow has to melt soon or I am going to go crazy. I am so sick of wearing the same boring boots and shoes every day because it is too cold and wet to wear anything else. I took it down and stashed it in the closet instead of the destruction by oncoming traffic plan. I know that next year, around December, I might want to have a snow themed decoration out again! Or I might want it for the mountain lodge I am going to buy at Big Sky when I win the Powerball :)
A funny Allan story...Justin bought a plastic container of grocery store bakery cookies. He stashed them on top of the fridge. Sometime during the day on Friday Allan got on top of the fridge and batted the container down. It popped open and he ate two full sized cookies with M&Ms in them. That pig ate two cookies! I was sure he would get sick but he seemed fine. That night he was in a state of gluttony though.
He cocooned himself in the quilt by himself! He has a tough life, doesn't he?
A funny Allan story...Justin bought a plastic container of grocery store bakery cookies. He stashed them on top of the fridge. Sometime during the day on Friday Allan got on top of the fridge and batted the container down. It popped open and he ate two full sized cookies with M&Ms in them. That pig ate two cookies! I was sure he would get sick but he seemed fine. That night he was in a state of gluttony though.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Oh NO!
This post might be way too female oriented for some readers so I appologize in advance...I was at Trade Secret today (a store filled with hair products, curling irons, and nail polish) because my sister told me there was a big sale going on and she got five hair products for $25. Normally you might be able to get two salon hair products for that amount so I was excited.
While I was there I learned that one of my favorite products lines, Matrix Curl Life, is most likely discontinued! I have been noticing that it has been less prominent on the shelves lately...
While I was there I learned that one of my favorite products lines, Matrix Curl Life, is most likely discontinued! I have been noticing that it has been less prominent on the shelves lately...
I especially like that little tub in the front...it is the "contour cream". Although these products don't do a whole lot for my hair compared to other products I am devoted because I love the fragrance of them. The first time I used Curl Life was when I bought a small gift set impulsively at a salon in college. I had just turned 21 and since the shampoo and styling creme were "fancy" and the bottles were pretty small I hoarded the products and always used them when I was getting ready to go out. The smell brings me back to carefree times! I would hate to lose one of my nostalgia triggers! Hopefully this stuff will linger on clearance shelves and at places like TJ Maxx for awhile.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
We Were Rolling Through the Rockies, We Were Up Above the Clouds...
Does anyone know what rather obscure song I reference in the title? It is called "The Song Remembers When" by Trisha Yearwood and was released in 1993! I thought about songs with Rocky Mountain references, or mountain references in general, besides songs by John Denver, and that one popped into my head. I can still see the album cover with sunflowers on it!
I have the Rockies on my mind because my family just returned from our annual ski trip! The first one happened when I was in 4th grade and we have only missed three years since then. We have tried a few other places, but everyone loves Big Sky, MT, the very best! I know that I get excited as soon as I see that majestic mountain peak with the runs snaking down the sides! It is so BIG! There are 150 named runs totalling 85 miles of length on three separate mountains. The longest run, from the summit of the highest peak to the base area, is six miles long (and I've done it!). That peak really is up above the clouds and is regularly closed for avalanche blasting and because wind and bad visibility.
The trip started on Saturday for me and Friday for everyone else (and a few days later for Justin). We take a rented bus (Haha, I know, it's weird! My dad obtained a CDL license with a passenger endorsement jsut for the purpose of driving this bus! We've used it three times now). The crew set out on Saturday morning even though the interstates were closed because of a blizzard the night before. They made to to Bismarck on state highways and when they arrived around 2 pm I-94 was still closed although the sun was shining and the ice was melting off the streets! Soon we noticed other drivers were driving on there even though it was closed so we followed and found conditions to be perfect. It was a very strange and annoying day of travel. It didn't matter, though, because we made it to Billings, MT, without incident and had time for a quick supper and Fuddruckers (YUMMY!) and some hot tub/beer time at the hotel.
There I am with my cousins Katie and Brenna! I felt that I needed to sit next to the big container of chocolate and peanut butter cookies.
We arrived at our rental condo on Sunday and were delighted that it looked exactly the same. We have rented it before. It is a five bedroom, four bathroom place (owned by fellow ND residents!) that has sleeping room for up to 16 people or more (there is a bunk room). It is also ski-in so we don't have to worry about shuttle busses or parking when we stay there. We got out the wine, beer and snacks right away and I was in the hot tub pretty quickly!
What followed was a lovely, snowy week. One night it snowed 12 inches while we were sleeping. It was the night Justin arrived and the car was buried when we woke up.
Here is a nice family photo! From the left...Justin, me, Pete in his outlandish blue pants, Kirk in his outlandish green pants, Andrea, Mom and Dad.
Here is a shot of Justin! It looks like he is in a snow globe!
One night some of us walked to our favorite bar at the base area called Whiskey Jacks. My hair looks really bad because I wore my hat all day and then I was in the hot tub when they decided to go at the last minute. If there is a drawback to this trip it is that you have to accept right away that you will look like crap the whole time, with a red face, flat hair, and unnattractive clothes.
It was snowing out on the way home so insisted on taking some winter wonderland style pictures. I didn't think that my camera lense might be fogged up with moisture.
Such nice brothers-in-law!
That little figure sitting on the run is my mom...her first day of skiing was a mess because her skis were not working properly. She said they felt out of control and like they were unsteady beneath her. I knew something was amiss because she usually is toward the front of the group, that the last one! She brought them to a ski repair shop and they informed her that they were tuned for someone who races competitively. She had brought them to a local shop a few weeks before the trip and asked for them to be tuned and waxed and they sharpened the edges drastically and waxed channels into the bottoms! I am very baffled wny they would do that for someone who didn't ask for it and who brought in some not fancy, 10 year old skis! Maybe they swapped two orders or something.
There is a run on the edge of the Big Sky property that borders on a fancy gated community. You can see some of the houses. Naturally, we gawked at them like a bunch of tourists! Well, everyone else did. I am no tourist! This mansion in progress actually belongs to me! I bought it after I won the Powerball drawing. My next property is going to be a beach house in Mexico. Hahaha.
This picture was taken in "The Bowl", which is just like it sounds. It is above the tree line and shaped like a big bowl. It is one of my favorite areas of Big Sky.
St. Patrick's Day landed during the trip. It was also the anniversary of my cousin's engagement at Big Sky two years ago! We went to Whiskey Jack's again and my mom surprised us with a bunch of novelties that she had secretly purchased before the trip. Those beads will also work for Bison games!
My sister and cousin snuck away from the table and returned with these green shots for the ladies (the men had some stronger, boozier selection). Thanks girls!
Mom and Kris are so excited they can barely focus on the camera! Actually, I think there were probably several cameras competing for attention so someone else probably has a photo where they are looking and the rest of us are not!
The trip started on Saturday for me and Friday for everyone else (and a few days later for Justin). We take a rented bus (Haha, I know, it's weird! My dad obtained a CDL license with a passenger endorsement jsut for the purpose of driving this bus! We've used it three times now). The crew set out on Saturday morning even though the interstates were closed because of a blizzard the night before. They made to to Bismarck on state highways and when they arrived around 2 pm I-94 was still closed although the sun was shining and the ice was melting off the streets! Soon we noticed other drivers were driving on there even though it was closed so we followed and found conditions to be perfect. It was a very strange and annoying day of travel. It didn't matter, though, because we made it to Billings, MT, without incident and had time for a quick supper and Fuddruckers (YUMMY!) and some hot tub/beer time at the hotel.
We arrived at our rental condo on Sunday and were delighted that it looked exactly the same. We have rented it before. It is a five bedroom, four bathroom place (owned by fellow ND residents!) that has sleeping room for up to 16 people or more (there is a bunk room). It is also ski-in so we don't have to worry about shuttle busses or parking when we stay there. We got out the wine, beer and snacks right away and I was in the hot tub pretty quickly!
What followed was a lovely, snowy week. One night it snowed 12 inches while we were sleeping. It was the night Justin arrived and the car was buried when we woke up.
One night some of us walked to our favorite bar at the base area called Whiskey Jacks. My hair looks really bad because I wore my hat all day and then I was in the hot tub when they decided to go at the last minute. If there is a drawback to this trip it is that you have to accept right away that you will look like crap the whole time, with a red face, flat hair, and unnattractive clothes.
This is the view of Andesite mountain from ouside our condo! It contains some of my favorite runs!
St. Patrick's Day landed during the trip. It was also the anniversary of my cousin's engagement at Big Sky two years ago! We went to Whiskey Jack's again and my mom surprised us with a bunch of novelties that she had secretly purchased before the trip. Those beads will also work for Bison games!
What a lovely family photo! I think Dad wishes he had some shamrock antennae!
It was a fun trip that, as usual, ended way too soon! And now it is Tuesday and there is some crazy spring ND storm going on outside that has it all...sleet and snow combined with thunder and lightning! Yeah for real! I have never seen anything like it before!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
I'm Back!
Hello! We returned from the ski trip yesterday afternoon! Justin's parents were at our house for the state basketball tournament so it was a busy weekend to continue a busy week. I promise I will add a more detailed post about the trip tomorrow night (because I know the most fun thing in the world is to look at other people's vacation photos! Haha). I have to say that I am very glad that the arrival of Spring has slowly progressed while we were gone. Bismarck is almost snow free! I talked to my mom this afternoon and she said that my aunt told her that her early spring perennials were coming up. I wasn't surprised because my aunt lives in Illinois. I was quite surprised to hear that some plants were popping up at my parents' farm in ND! I looked at our flower beds and saw that, indeed, some irises were coming through the dirt!
Oh, little plant, you are so brave. If I were that bulb I would pull those little leaves right back into the ground for a few more weeks. There might be a snowstorm this week! Ugh!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Ski Trip
You won't be hearing from me next week because I am going to Big Sky, MT, for a ski trip! Oh, I am so excited...It has been two years since I laid eyes on Big Sky and it feels like way too long! My family started going on these trips (when I say family I refer to my family of origin and my aunt and uncle and two cousins) since I was in 4th grade. There were nine of us for all those years and now there are 13 since three of us kids are married now! I will spare you multitudes of old vacation photos but I have to show a photo of Big Sky in case anyone is wondering...it is so beautiful! That mountain peak stands out, taller than the other mountains in the range and I have been at the top of it and skied down it many times beginning when I was 14. I found this photo on Google images and I chose it above all of the ones I have taken because I love the perspective...that deck in the corner is at one of our favorite places to stop for refreshments and to warm up if it is cold or to enjoy the sun if it is warm.
So, I will see all of you when I return!
Oh, I have to follow up with the post about the basketball tournament...the cousins' team won! Here is a link to the newspaper photo gallery...it's awesome. I love the joy in the pictures! The girl named Taylor is one of the cousins.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/photogallery/id/787/
We have come a long way since our first trip, which was to the upper penninsula of Michigan in the early 1990's!
Look at Pete...if I was in 4th grade that means he was in Kindergarten at the time! Hard to imagine!
This was our first year at Big Sky and I loved it right away! Our clothes are bad but the backdrop is just as beautiful today as it was then! I am almost certain that this photo was taken on "Mr. K", the long (3 miles!) beginner run that is popular with kids who are learning and ski schools. It is a run I prefer if I have to go to the bathroom and want to get to a base area fast! Haha.
I bet, on that day, that no one imagined what might be happening 15 years later...little Katie, the one in the dark purple coat above, got engaged! Haha it was too perfect!
Oh, I have to follow up with the post about the basketball tournament...the cousins' team won! Here is a link to the newspaper photo gallery...it's awesome. I love the joy in the pictures! The girl named Taylor is one of the cousins.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/photogallery/id/787/
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Class B
Class B refers to my matriculating from a school in ND that is small. There are hundreds of them, although the numbers shrink each year with consolidations. And they are small...so small that it is hard for some people to imagine! When I started NDSU I was greeted with distain from students at some orientation activity who came from large suburban high schools although its been proven repeatedly that students from small schools are no less prepared for life and college than anyone else (check out the Dean's List rolls, the scholarship announcements, the admittees to law and medical schools...you will find lists of names with small "Class B" towns attached. But enough with this academic nonsense...on to what people really care about! Sports! And this time of year that sport that they care about is basketball!
A few years ago, there was a documentary on PBS about Class B basketball. OK, it was probably at least 10 years ago! It was, believe it or not, so nostalgic and sentimental that it reportedly brought tears to the eyes of many men who watched it. I just searched for it and it was called "One Shining Moment: History of the North Dakota State B". It was filled with interviews from players and coaches about thier most memorable tournament games and experiences. The sad part was that alot of the schools from the past (the documentary covered the tournament starting in 1933, and mostly covered the boys tournament) are no longer open. If you haven't gathered from prior posts, I have a tendency toward being nostalgic and the sight of an empty old school makes me feel pretty deflated and also fascinated by what happened there before. Right now there is an old three story nieghborhood school for sale near downtown Fargo and I fantasize about buying it and...well...I have no idea what I would do with it but it just makes me sad to see old things abandoned just because they are old and have windows that are not energy efficient and too many flights of stairs for current guidelines. Sigh...
My nostalgia was going strong on Tuesday night when I attended a Class B Regional tournament game (of the girls variety). It is still strange to me, after several years, that girls basketball is played in wintertime and not fall. The association of basketball being connected with hot August weather, rumbling grain trucks, and a gym that feels like a sauna have been hard to break. The game I was watching was not that of my hometown but of a nearby school and former regular district opponent. Justin's cousin has three daughters who all start for the team. One is a senior, one a sophomore, and one a freshman. They are great players and on Tuesday they were in the second round of the tournament. It was an "edge of the seat" game with lots of excitement and an overtime but they won! They are one game away from the state tournament and tonight it will be decided around 8:00. Eeeehhh!!!
In my day, (I can't believe I used that phrase) districts were always played at Mayville State, the small local university that is almost as familiar to me as my high school was. It was where i went for swimming lessons, piano competitions, lifeguarding and cpr classes, school music contests, basketball camps, and many other events. Regionals were alternated betweein Mayville and a larger high school in the Northern district of our region. For some reason, maybe in the interest of a central location, they are now played at a fancy arena at UND and I have to say that it is just not the same! The arena is so nice, with it's leather stadium seats and high quality sound system but I miss the low budget, bleacher stomping rowdiness of the old places. Also, I miss the low budget refreshments and the concession stands with homemade bars that cost $.50 and bottles of soda that cost 1.00 and not the size small glass of Sprite I bought for $2.75 that was 1/3 ice.
Good luck tonight, ladies. There is nothing like going to state. I know because I was there! Once as a fan in 7th grade and once as a player. When our girls basketball team made it for the first time when I was in 7th grade it might have been the most exciting and fun weekend I had experienced until then...I remember the phone ringing late at night after the game with news that booked hotel rooms had opened at Holiday Inn in Minot (the fans of the favorite teams around the state who had lost were cancelling their rooms). What followed was a weekend of debauchery for the parents and unsupervision for the kids, which was just fine for us!
A few years ago, there was a documentary on PBS about Class B basketball. OK, it was probably at least 10 years ago! It was, believe it or not, so nostalgic and sentimental that it reportedly brought tears to the eyes of many men who watched it. I just searched for it and it was called "One Shining Moment: History of the North Dakota State B". It was filled with interviews from players and coaches about thier most memorable tournament games and experiences. The sad part was that alot of the schools from the past (the documentary covered the tournament starting in 1933, and mostly covered the boys tournament) are no longer open. If you haven't gathered from prior posts, I have a tendency toward being nostalgic and the sight of an empty old school makes me feel pretty deflated and also fascinated by what happened there before. Right now there is an old three story nieghborhood school for sale near downtown Fargo and I fantasize about buying it and...well...I have no idea what I would do with it but it just makes me sad to see old things abandoned just because they are old and have windows that are not energy efficient and too many flights of stairs for current guidelines. Sigh...
My nostalgia was going strong on Tuesday night when I attended a Class B Regional tournament game (of the girls variety). It is still strange to me, after several years, that girls basketball is played in wintertime and not fall. The association of basketball being connected with hot August weather, rumbling grain trucks, and a gym that feels like a sauna have been hard to break. The game I was watching was not that of my hometown but of a nearby school and former regular district opponent. Justin's cousin has three daughters who all start for the team. One is a senior, one a sophomore, and one a freshman. They are great players and on Tuesday they were in the second round of the tournament. It was an "edge of the seat" game with lots of excitement and an overtime but they won! They are one game away from the state tournament and tonight it will be decided around 8:00. Eeeehhh!!!
In my day, (I can't believe I used that phrase) districts were always played at Mayville State, the small local university that is almost as familiar to me as my high school was. It was where i went for swimming lessons, piano competitions, lifeguarding and cpr classes, school music contests, basketball camps, and many other events. Regionals were alternated betweein Mayville and a larger high school in the Northern district of our region. For some reason, maybe in the interest of a central location, they are now played at a fancy arena at UND and I have to say that it is just not the same! The arena is so nice, with it's leather stadium seats and high quality sound system but I miss the low budget, bleacher stomping rowdiness of the old places. Also, I miss the low budget refreshments and the concession stands with homemade bars that cost $.50 and bottles of soda that cost 1.00 and not the size small glass of Sprite I bought for $2.75 that was 1/3 ice.
Good luck tonight, ladies. There is nothing like going to state. I know because I was there! Once as a fan in 7th grade and once as a player. When our girls basketball team made it for the first time when I was in 7th grade it might have been the most exciting and fun weekend I had experienced until then...I remember the phone ringing late at night after the game with news that booked hotel rooms had opened at Holiday Inn in Minot (the fans of the favorite teams around the state who had lost were cancelling their rooms). What followed was a weekend of debauchery for the parents and unsupervision for the kids, which was just fine for us!
When I was a member of the team (a member who hardly left the bench) we went to the state tournament when I was a junior and we were treated like the most special girls in the world. Every day between the regional championship and the day we left for state was a surprise because we kept getting gifts and well wishes. We were given little silver basketball charms to wear around our necks and beanie babies (remember those?) wearing little custom made jerseys. We recieved cakes and candy and lip gloss and other girly treats. We put on our uniforms and paraded around the local nursing home like celebrities. We were given a fancy farewell with a morning pep rally and were escorted out of the gym by one of our fans wearing a fancy tuxedo like it was prom. Once we departed for the tournament on my teammates' mom's casino/tour bus (no uncomfortable school bus for us!) we had the funds to eat every meal in a restaurant and a huge cooler full of beverages at our disposal (water and Powerade only...no pop allowed except for coaches!) We arrived on a Wednesday morning and returned on Sunday afternoon so it was a long trip.
On the way out of town I had a fabulous surprise...the bus slowed down and I heard my name...the family I babysat for and their cousins, who my teammate babysat for, had made a big sign that said "Go Maren! Go Rachel!" and they were standing out in the yard in full fan gear (well, the little ones were...I imagine the older kids must have been at the school pep rally). The bus pulled over and we ran out and posed for pictures with our biggest fans!
On the way out of town I had a fabulous surprise...the bus slowed down and I heard my name...the family I babysat for and their cousins, who my teammate babysat for, had made a big sign that said "Go Maren! Go Rachel!" and they were standing out in the yard in full fan gear (well, the little ones were...I imagine the older kids must have been at the school pep rally). The bus pulled over and we ran out and posed for pictures with our biggest fans!
I happened to have this scanned...I might have had it in the pictures I had separated for the wedding slideshow or something. This was taken by their moms after they made the sign. Seeing this makes my eyes well up a bit! How sweet were they? The two of us were not star players but we were important to those kids...
I recall the hotel room I shared with three of my classmates and teammates being totally trashed, with clothes and makeup covering every surface. You need alot of clothes for five days, and we had to dress up for our games then (not sure if they still do...I always thought it was kind of silly) so many outfits were necessary. There were also banquets and hospitality rooms to attend and we were given by our very amicable coach 45 whole minutes at the mall!!! Fortunately, our bus driver liked to shop, especially for beanie babies, so she brought us back for more mall time later. I have quite a few pictures from that week but none are scanned. I think they are stashed in my closet at home so I should get them out some time. Just thinking about this makes me hope that the cousins win tonight so they can experience it! We had so many inside jokes and fun memories from that week! I think one of the better aspects for me was that when we returned I didn't have to go to basketball practice anymore!
Monday, March 7, 2011
I Told You...
This is going to be a fast one...I just swallowed two Nyquil gel capsules so I will wrap this up before it turns into a bunch of incoherent nonsense...
Didn't I mention yesterday that Justin processed meat into a bunch of sausage over the weekend? I believe he told me there were 60 packages...Wow there really are 60 packages!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Starve a Fever
Hello everyone. This post might be a dissapointment because I don't really feel like writing it because I feel like crap! On Friday evening I started feeling a strange tickle in my chest and had a light cough. On Friday night I was laying on the couch and realized I was really cold and was shivering! Then I peeled myself off the couch and felt the spinning head that could only mean one thing...I had the flu! YIKES! My worries were confirmed as I shivered under layers of quilts as I tried to fall asleep only to wake up at 5 am dripping with sweat. Like most people, I usually get, I would say, two colds each year. I don't often get sick otherwise so when I do I loathe every minute. What makes it worse is that I don't handle feverish spells very well.
For example, I sleep fitfully and have strange dreams when I am sick. So, when sleep is most necessary, I usually don't sleep enough. This situation has improved with age but when I was a child my feverish dreams were disturbing and very realistic. I won't even repeat how weird they were because you might question my sanity. I recall one night when I was sick and I had a terrifying dream that still seemed real after I woke up. I got up to alert my parents of the situation (that was just a remnant of the dream) and finally came back to reality as I stood at the base of the stairway and found myself surrounded by our backpacks tossed in the corner and the damp mittens and boots drying on the radiator and thought "Wow, I am not waking them up. It was all a dream. They will think I am really crazy!" and then I went back upstairs to my room. Another night, during my first year of law school, I was sick and delerious the week after our family ski trip. My brother had contracted bronchitis on the trip and I inevitably had it a few days later. I woke up in the middle of the night, all sweaty and feverish, and went into my closet and changed into one of the shirts hanging up in there. A shirt that I would wear out in public, not sleep in! In the morning I didn't remember why I did it. If my future children react to illness the way I did I'm sure I am in for a treat. Hopefully they will just lay around and complain and not go staggering around the house in the middle of the night in some other dimension of reality and have late night wardrobe changes!
Does anyone remember the chapter in the book "Little House on the Prairie" called "Fever n' Ague" where the Ingalls family gets Malaria and they are so sick and dehydrated that they can't get out of bed and Laura, although just as sick as everyone else, is so worried about everyone that she gets up and goes stumbling across the cabin to get water for her family? I remember thinking that I knew exactly how she felt. Of course, I don't mean the part about having Malaria on the prairie with no way to call for help. I just remember relating to the feeling of not wanting to get up when feeling really crappy and feeling your head spin when you finally do. I love those books. They are still so vivid to me! Random things remind me of chapters from the series often.
So, anyway, that was probably really boring. I'll do better when I feel better and my lungs don't hurt from coughing and my temp goes back below 99 degrees! I have tried to cajole Justin into posting on here occasionally but it's not really his thing. So I try to related information about him as well when we don't do things together...this weekend he and his cousin processed the previously mentioned meat and he said he has 65 packages of breakfast sausuages or something like that. It's a good thing we have a huge freezer.
For example, I sleep fitfully and have strange dreams when I am sick. So, when sleep is most necessary, I usually don't sleep enough. This situation has improved with age but when I was a child my feverish dreams were disturbing and very realistic. I won't even repeat how weird they were because you might question my sanity. I recall one night when I was sick and I had a terrifying dream that still seemed real after I woke up. I got up to alert my parents of the situation (that was just a remnant of the dream) and finally came back to reality as I stood at the base of the stairway and found myself surrounded by our backpacks tossed in the corner and the damp mittens and boots drying on the radiator and thought "Wow, I am not waking them up. It was all a dream. They will think I am really crazy!" and then I went back upstairs to my room. Another night, during my first year of law school, I was sick and delerious the week after our family ski trip. My brother had contracted bronchitis on the trip and I inevitably had it a few days later. I woke up in the middle of the night, all sweaty and feverish, and went into my closet and changed into one of the shirts hanging up in there. A shirt that I would wear out in public, not sleep in! In the morning I didn't remember why I did it. If my future children react to illness the way I did I'm sure I am in for a treat. Hopefully they will just lay around and complain and not go staggering around the house in the middle of the night in some other dimension of reality and have late night wardrobe changes!
Does anyone remember the chapter in the book "Little House on the Prairie" called "Fever n' Ague" where the Ingalls family gets Malaria and they are so sick and dehydrated that they can't get out of bed and Laura, although just as sick as everyone else, is so worried about everyone that she gets up and goes stumbling across the cabin to get water for her family? I remember thinking that I knew exactly how she felt. Of course, I don't mean the part about having Malaria on the prairie with no way to call for help. I just remember relating to the feeling of not wanting to get up when feeling really crappy and feeling your head spin when you finally do. I love those books. They are still so vivid to me! Random things remind me of chapters from the series often.
So, anyway, that was probably really boring. I'll do better when I feel better and my lungs don't hurt from coughing and my temp goes back below 99 degrees! I have tried to cajole Justin into posting on here occasionally but it's not really his thing. So I try to related information about him as well when we don't do things together...this weekend he and his cousin processed the previously mentioned meat and he said he has 65 packages of breakfast sausuages or something like that. It's a good thing we have a huge freezer.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
"Would you think it's lost, that I paid the cost,"
I went to a concert last night! The performance was by Ryan Bingham, a country singer who, until recently, was relatively unknown at least around here. The title of the post is song lyrics from his song "Ever Wonder Why" which is a favorite of mine! His style of country is more rough and traditional tha typical "radio" country that is so familiar. Ryan's voice is really rough and and sounds alot older than he is (he is only 29).
Watch these youtube videos if you want to hear a sampling...
I found out about him a few years ago from my music loving former roommate. I was visiting for a weekend and went over to her house to visit and she played his cd "Mescalito" for me and I liked it so much we went out to buy it! He has released two other albums since then. Last year he became more famous because a song he wrote for the movie "Crazy Heart" won an academy award for best original song. He also had a small part in the movie. The photo below is a shot of Ryan Bingham and Jeff Bridges from the movie. I was actually really surprised that his tour came to ND at all! I always appreciate when concerts come here!
The concert was downtown at this very small, divey (is that even a word?) venue that is above an Irish pub. I had never been there and was surprised by how small it was! It was pretty fun though. It helped that it was a 21+ show and drinking was encouraged!
Aaaaahhh!!! Ryan Bingham! I went to the show with Andrea and Kirk and we met some friends, including Roommate, there. We took a few pictures but didn't want to go overboard in such a small place! It was fun to be so close to the action. We even caught Ryan sneaking a drag from a cigarette towards the end of the night! Although I think smoking is unpleasant I guess I wouldn't have minded an exception to the smoking rules for the performers.
It was very good. Ryan sounded just like he does on the recordings, which, in my opinion, means that someone is truly talented. Not that I doubted his talents! I am always amazed when I encounter people who are close to my age who have accomplished impressive feats. Thanks for a memorable evening Mr. Bingham!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
More Quilting!
I posted about my indulgent fabric buying binge a few weeks ago when I bought a big roll of pre-cut and coordinating fabric by Moda and I have been working on a quilt composed of that fabric. It took me awhile to decide what kind of quilt I wanted to make. I knew I wanted to do something more challenging than just sewing toghether squares like I have done so many times before! I finally decided on this techique...
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/07/endless-possibilities.html#more
It is pretty easy...it lookes like may little triangles but actually you cut squares, sew two seams diagonally down the middle, and then cut between the seams and press them open to make a square with two colors. They can then be arranged in endless ways! It was very easy and looks more complicated than it is. I had a picture of the diagonal sewing step but when I uploaded it a message came up saying that I had used the 1 gigabite of storage that came with the blogger account and I had to purchase more! I thought that sounded outlandish but, indeed, there is an album with every picture I have ever uploaded on here saved! I was annoyed but then I found out that 20 gigs costs $5. So I bought the memory and hopefully never have to deal with it again. If it took 1.5 years to fill 1 gig I imagine 20 should last awhile!
I arranged all of my squares on the floor first so I could made sure I liked the way they looked. It was very time consuming and I had a cat pouncing on the squares and rolling around on them.
I started sewing them toghether this afternoon. ( I had made the squares two weeks ago).
See...that is supposed to form a point and not look like the end got chopped off!
That blue bird fabric is my favorite in the assortment!
Justin is in Kansas City for work and when he and his co-worker were in the airport yesterday they saw John Elway! I have never seen a famous person in an airport.
As a reminder that our lives are not filled with delightful quilting projects, kittens, and celebrity sightings, I will return to Earth and tell you about what is happening in our kitchen right now. Justin has plans to process some meat this weekend with his cousin. They are going to, I belive, make sausage and jerky. Yesterday he removed several bags of pork and venison from our basement freezer and brought them upstairs to thaw in the refrigerator. This morning I opened the fridge to grab my breakfast burrito ingredients and was greeted with a disturbing scene...a pool of blood covering the entirety of the base of the fridge under the crisper drawers. There had been some leakage from the freezer bags. OK, a hemhorrage. It definitely made me recoil in horror. There is also leakage from a bag sitting on the top shelf and puddling toward the back up there. It is really gross and I have declared that I will not be cleaning it up. Let me remind you all that, although I am not especially squeamish about many things, meat has long been an issue for me. I didn't purchase and prepare ground beef or chicken for myself until I was in my mid 20's. I hardly touched meat except for chicken, pepperoni, and hot dogs through most of my youth and into my college years. (And yes, I now know that pepperoni and hot dogs are more disgusting than beef any day but it was more about the texture than the actual content!) So...Justin can deal with this when he gets home. Maybe I will go buy a jug of bleach for him to use.
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/07/endless-possibilities.html#more
It is pretty easy...it lookes like may little triangles but actually you cut squares, sew two seams diagonally down the middle, and then cut between the seams and press them open to make a square with two colors. They can then be arranged in endless ways! It was very easy and looks more complicated than it is. I had a picture of the diagonal sewing step but when I uploaded it a message came up saying that I had used the 1 gigabite of storage that came with the blogger account and I had to purchase more! I thought that sounded outlandish but, indeed, there is an album with every picture I have ever uploaded on here saved! I was annoyed but then I found out that 20 gigs costs $5. So I bought the memory and hopefully never have to deal with it again. If it took 1.5 years to fill 1 gig I imagine 20 should last awhile!
I arranged all of my squares on the floor first so I could made sure I liked the way they looked. It was very time consuming and I had a cat pouncing on the squares and rolling around on them.
I assembled five rows today out of 21. The pressing of the seams was the worst part!
I can't help but be critical of my work...I noticed that the squares were not all perfectly uniform when I was sewing them together and I don't know why because I cut them with the rotary cutter and mat and they should be exactly the same! Oh well...
Justin is in Kansas City for work and when he and his co-worker were in the airport yesterday they saw John Elway! I have never seen a famous person in an airport.
As a reminder that our lives are not filled with delightful quilting projects, kittens, and celebrity sightings, I will return to Earth and tell you about what is happening in our kitchen right now. Justin has plans to process some meat this weekend with his cousin. They are going to, I belive, make sausage and jerky. Yesterday he removed several bags of pork and venison from our basement freezer and brought them upstairs to thaw in the refrigerator. This morning I opened the fridge to grab my breakfast burrito ingredients and was greeted with a disturbing scene...a pool of blood covering the entirety of the base of the fridge under the crisper drawers. There had been some leakage from the freezer bags. OK, a hemhorrage. It definitely made me recoil in horror. There is also leakage from a bag sitting on the top shelf and puddling toward the back up there. It is really gross and I have declared that I will not be cleaning it up. Let me remind you all that, although I am not especially squeamish about many things, meat has long been an issue for me. I didn't purchase and prepare ground beef or chicken for myself until I was in my mid 20's. I hardly touched meat except for chicken, pepperoni, and hot dogs through most of my youth and into my college years. (And yes, I now know that pepperoni and hot dogs are more disgusting than beef any day but it was more about the texture than the actual content!) So...Justin can deal with this when he gets home. Maybe I will go buy a jug of bleach for him to use.