Ever changing

It was time to change over the blog. So, here's where I'm keeping the old stuff. Because I am just soooooo proficient, I managed to lose most of the pictures associated & am way too lazy to upload them all again. Moving right along. I won't be posting to this anymore, but you can see the new stuff at Apple Seeds

Cinnamon-raisin bread toast

The ongoing battle

We adore the little animals which we keep incarcerated in this house. They have us very well trained and we would do just about anything to amuse them.

That said, not everyone likes them as much as we do. Their geriatric stank, squeaky demands for food and the little spiky hairs that are impossible to remove seem to occasionally turn guests off. Many people also are allergic to the aforementioned shedding.

In the ongoing battle against hairs, we have tried many different products. So far the vacuum followed by sticky rollers on furniture & swiffering on the floors work best.

Today I came across a 'Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair' brought to us by the good people at Pledge. While expensive for a throw-away item (about $5 at the evil empire), I decided to give it a go. It did wonderful things for our sofa & upholstered chairs. This could be a great weapon in the arsenal!

In looking to see what other people thought about it, I ended up at this site. Her review seems pretty spot on. But the part that excites me most about it is the youtube at the bottom which shows how to just pop the rollers out and re-use. Awesome!

A gift for Mr.

Thanks Willie, Paula & Danielle for the slab! We now have no excuse for not making candied bacon (yuuuuuuummmmmm or ewwwwwwwwwwwwww?)...

Sr. Fuzzbutt

Poor Clovis still has dry skin. This time of year is just no fun. It has been a challenge. Even the xxx-small boots are a little big for him. These ones fit the best & seem to keep him from scratching. Between that and the salad bowl for gnawing, maybe we can keep him away from destroying himself.

More autumn

We had our first touch of frost last night. However, the basil & jalapeno plants are still going strong. Here they are + a couple of Midian in his element...

Beautiful autumn day

Gifted

Some say that I am 'gifted' (the only ones who mean that in a good way usually being my parents). But apparently this is a day to get gifts. This morning was a big one - Curt got me the Rosetta Stone french 123 software that I have been fantasizing about for the past year. When it arrived I nearly passed out. It is ex-pen-sive (at least by my standards) and never thought we would actually get it. So, will have to post updates as to how well it is working (or rather how well I am working using it).

Next, Dad came over and cut down several of the dead dogwoods that were worrying me (such as the one leaning against the power lines, another leaning against the neighbors fence and one about to fall across the road out front). He even cut them up so we could use the big bits as firewood for the house and the smaller branches in the big burning ring he gave us out back.

Finally, a card came across the pond to Mr. from Mum. It was clearly a birthday card sent early (he doesn't actually pass into another year until the middle of next month), but that didn't stop him from opening it up now. A nice check fell out that he jokes should just about cover the Rosetta Stone software.

Off I go to the bank and then home again to start downloading lessons. Hopefully this karma hangs around for a while - a gal could get used to days like this!

Scratchy

Clovis has been scratching. We treated the place for fleas and gave them multiple baths/topical treatments/oral medicines. Clovis is still scratching. He made some sores on his tummy. In order to inhibit his ability to flay himself, we have been wrapping him in gauze and athletic tape. It's been helping some.
Today, Mr. got a hold of some dog booties. Unfortunately, the little guy just kicks them right off. Thus, we've had to revert back to wrapping him. At least he's all set for a Halloween costume. Here are a couple of pics. See him giving me the evil eye? Poor bugger, I'd be cursing me too....

Punks

The punkies (with a little help from Mumma & Gammy) carved us some beauts! We're hoping they get a little soft before Saturday. The plan is to put candy inside & make the beasties reach inside the gooey cavity for their sugar. Ha - when did I get so eeeeeeeeeevil?

Thanks Judy

I love my new scarf & I looooooooooove that you finally got down here for a visit (so does Ernie)!

Postulate

I was grasping for a word yesterday. 'It's like a cross between conclude and guess and for some reason I think it sounds like proselytize' was the best description I could give Curt. Pathetic, that's not even really right. In the middle of the night, I woke up remembering the word I had been searching for. So, I spent 6 hours working on that one which is even more pathetic!

Television

We don't have a tv per se, but we do watch a few shows the next day on Hulu. Every once in a while we catch the Family Guy. I find it to be hit or miss, but for some reason this one had us in stitches...

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Store bought vs. homemade

So I know that I'm in the minority what with no job, kids, whateva to make me lose my sanity. This gives me time (and lack of dough) to work on homemade projects.

Once upon a time, I was of the opinion that making something for someone showed a certain caring that most store bought things did not. However, this is a theory that put in to practice does not seem to hold up so well.

Sure, there are people like dear Kara who makes a fantastic lace scarf in the time it takes me to read one of my cheap thrillers, Sean who can whip out a cake like it's nobody's business or Jenny who can stage plants and pottery to look so good that I'm afraid to even stop in at the nursery (again, the lack of money thing). But these are all people with that elusive quality known as 'talent' Supposedly, everybody has some, but I'm not all that sure (this doubt is reinforced by 90% of the music I hear every time the radio is on).

Yeah, yeah, yeah, 'practice makes perfect' and all that jazz. Maybe I'm just stubborn. 4 years of Spanish = a basic understanding of curse words & random phrases. A life time of painting, drawing & still can't get a straight line without using a hard edge (stupid lines, make me mad).

Anyhow, I hope that Annelise is more forgiving than I am. Here's the birthday cake she's getting...

Kickin it old school, sorta

Curt was chomping at the bit to see Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Like A.O. Scott, the NY Times reviewer, at first I wasn't sure if this was a real band or a sort of Spinal Tap rip-off (esp. upon hearing the name Robb Reiner)

This documentary was decent though. I love to be pleasantly surprised by a film. Maybe 'pleasantly' is the wrong word to use though. While it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and one must admire their tenacity, it was sort of awful at the same time. How is an 80's style heavy metal band going to make it with the recording industry now? Let alone that they aren't just 80's style, but actual 80's heavy metal (putting them in their early 50's now).

Anyhow, it's worth watching if you were ever into bands like Metallica, Slayer, Twisted Sister, Merciful Fate, etc. I was more of a Ramones, Poison, Cinderella freak, so close enough. Here's a youtube of the trailer if you're interested.

Local reading

After more than 4 years here, we finally went down to the main branch of the Greensboro Public Library and got cards yesterday.

I have a back-up of books (as usual) to finish. So, I just looked around and didn't take anything home. Curt got out 'Osama Van Halen' (which he thought was not as much fun as the title & blurb suggested) and the 'Book of Mormon' (no worries, he just is curious about books that get followers - I assume that's why he's read Mein Kampf, the Communist Manifesto, etc.)

It is a great space, but I was not super-impressed by the collection. For example, one of my little pipe-dreams is to learn French. So, we were looking to see if they had anything like Rosetta Stone Software or dvd/cd's to learn from. The only thing was a really old & worn looking VHS of 'the Joy of French.' Also, I like my trashy mysteries & while they have a large section, it seems like only a few authors I recognize are in the stacks.

Guess that we were spoiled by the Boston Public Library and the UMass Boston Library. Somehow, I thought all libraries would have authors & publishing companies donating great stuff to them.

Poor old Greensboro. I talked to them about donating some books & movies. They were very enthusiastic. So, my goal is that every time I buy a nice hardcover book & finish it - off it will go to the Library!

Recipe

Let me preface this by stating that I am not nearly as creative in the kitchen as most people we know. Really, I am happiest with toast and butter - maybe a touch of honey.

Since we have the rotating dinner club though, there is the challenge of whatever theme is being called for. This month, Chad and Corinne decided on "dirty foods" (to be taken any way you please).

Curt made dirty martinis & espresso martini's (the latter of which he called dirty toilet martini's - somehow I was able to abstain).

I made a black bean salad in a glass bowl to look like soil & stuck a bunch of spring onions in around the edges with the bulb part about an inch down. It's kind of basic, but was the first time I'd made it and it came out pretty good. So, here's the recipe...

-the juice of 2 limes
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 scallion, chopped
-3 serrano (or jalapeno) peppers, diced
-handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
-1/2 red bell pepper, diced
-1/4 red onion, diced
-1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
-1 can black beans, washed & drained
-1 can pinto beans, washed & drained
-1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Mix all the above ingredients together with whatever other seasonings you prefer (we use about a teaspoon of Stevia to sweeten & a pinch of salt)
Drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil over the top, cover and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Oh yeah, I wasn't the only wuss. Only Marti & Brad really went for the gold with their penis-loaf. Tragically, I was out enjoying the sunset when they first cut into it.

New projects

I've finally posted some of my recent knitting up at Ravelry (I am known there as StackDrommar) for you yarn heads. It's not all pretty, but it is improving. So far, the most complexity has been in designing a bag (to carry all my knitting crap in). One day soon I will be courageous enough to try socks. For now, it's mostly scarves though...

Preparations

I'm in purge mode. We've been gathering lots of stuff from around the house to put out at the neighborhood yard sale in October (scroll down to 'Upcoming Events' at www.lynwoodlakes.org for more details).

Some of it is junk, but a lot are things which were interesting or useful at some point. I was hardest on the book collection - there's a lot of classics, how-to's & books about why the hell we are the way we are and whether there's any hope for change (sorry Obama, the consensus seems to be no).

Curt added a few good things (for example, a digital camera that works well, but is a few years old & we've since upgraded) & there are old vases, candlesticks, Christmas knick-knacks and such (hey, whatever floats your boat). So, come buy it all at the yard sale or look for it later in October at Goodwill. Ah, to have space in our home again - yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

By the way, thanks for the boxes Annelise! They seem to take the weight of all that paper and glass better than the used liquor store boxes.

Wild chihuahuas

Ernie was not quite so spectacular as we had to dice his steak up for him. Clovis doesn't have his front teeth anymore. But, he did eventually manage to show this piece of meat who the boss was...