Well that blizzard happened. And so did a bunch of other crazy shit.
We got slammed here in the northwest parts of Vermont. 30 inches or so all in a days time. It was lovely and exciting and a little daunting. I shoveled and shoveled and shoveled some more. My boots got filled with snow, my mittens soaked, and my arms a bit sore, but all in all I came out unscathed and actually quite happy for the massive amount of the white stuff. If it’s gonna snow, might as well make it a massive snowstorm. And now thanks to all the snow drifting and city workers blowing the sidewalk snow into the front yard, I now have my very own snow tunnel system. Miley and Judah being the architects and the mr and I the labor. Nothing beats a warm sunny day playing in the snow.
And then there was the furnace that shit the bed. The mr has been dealing with this heater at one of our buildings for a few weeks now and finally during the storm, after a few visits with the plumbers, the old hunk of metal decided it was time. On it’s last leg, barely lasting the week, the mr has been obsessively running back and forth to relight the thing just to milk as much heat as possible from it until the plumbers come Monday morning with a all new heating system. (There goes our vacation to the Bahamas. Ok, there was never a vacation planned, but now there won’t be one)
To top off a strange week, one nephew (Jackson) broken an ankle and another (Alex) is in the hospital after his appendix almost exploded. Then we attended an elementary school play where Miley played a bum and a knight and Judah dance like a rat. A day with Sophia throwing snow at the mr and leaving a trail of glitter all over house and car…..What a week. What a week indeed.
I feel like today is kind of a make up day for all the shit that I didn’t get a chance to do the past few days. A little paperwork, a bit of cleaning, grocery shopping. But if I am good and get it all done early enough I hope to escape to the trees and spend part of the day outside being calm and quite. I think I can make it happen. I need to make it happen.
Things on the internet that I found on the internet.
-This is 100% accurate to my life. Everything Always Takes Longer Than You Think
–California Deserts In ‘Super Bloom’ Thanks To A Wet Winter. Wish I could get out there and see it.
– I don’t want to be soft. I want to be human that can handle physical labor. How Does A Nepalese Porter Carry So Much Weight?
–This LEGO Tape Lets You Turn Anything Into Lego-Compatible Surface. The things I would lego tape.
-I am not one for commercials but this one was really sweet. This French Grocery Store Commercial Will Make You Cry
–Honey Nut Cheerios Pulled Its Bee Mascot Because Bees Are Disappearing. #Savethebees.
-I find that when the littles see me eating a vegetable, they want to then eat that vegetable too, sometimes even stealing the food right off my plate. It’s ok, I can share. Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies
–Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission. Boaty McBoatface. Hahahaha
-Not going to lie, but I don’t play Monopoly. I am more or a hungry hungry hippos or Sorry kind of girl. But I bet some people will be excited. Or pissed. Meet the New Monopoly Tokens: A Rubber Ducky, a T-rex and a Penguin
–How Candy Stretches Around the World. I have the hook, now I have to get stretching my own.
Pictures from the past week.
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I am getting excited about this snow storm we are suppose to have tonight and am hoping we get dumped on. It had been too long sense we have had a good snow. I really want to build a snow fort in the backyard because that’s why we have a yard.
Earlier this week I had myself a little dance party (what usually happens when I am home alone) and while dancing around, I tweaked my neck. Happens right? Well this really screwed me up. I spent almost an entire day laying on the couch with ice and a hot water bottle thinking I must have broken my neck. Not the best way to spend a day but at least I was able to binge watch a bit of Parks ans Rec (Leslie Knope is my hero) So all week I have taking it kinda easy and doing more paperwork and tax crap (aahhhh!!) than anything else. I am still sore and a little weary about moving my head, but feeling a lot better. Already back to dance parties.
So I guess today I am being dragged to a far off town to pick up a washer and dryer for one of the apartments. Not really what I want to do and I am a little worried about the weather, but it will be ok, we are leaving early. Plus I have trained myself to read in the car without barfing and there is always big cups of coffee on road trips so I will be distracted. And when I get home, I can go back to Parks and Recs, bread making, spoon carving, and watching the snow fall. Good stuff.
Stuff on the internet.
-This is just so good. Harvesting Carrots
-Pretty sweet way to get in a workout. Raise Your (He)art Rate With A Workout At The Met.
-I have heard a lot about this burger and I am still not sure how I feel about it. I don’t think I want to eat something that tastes like meat. Would you? Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free
–NPR’S ARI SHAPIRO ON WHAT A REPORTER LEARNS EATING ON THE ROAD. Always listening to Ari.
-Do you temper chocolate? I usually just stick it in the microwave. Thinking I might give it a go.
A BASIC GUIDE TO TEMPERING CHOCOLATE
– How Much Do You Hate the Sound of People Chewing? Sometime I could care less, but sometimes a lot.
–These photos are amazing.
-Melissa McCarthy As Sean Spicer Is The Best Thing On SNL In Years. i have watched it like 3 times….So fucking funny.
-Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. Music Tickles the Same Brain System As Sex and Drugs. For real.
Some pictures.
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February…FEBRUARY! Jeez the past month just flew on by. I am making it my mission in this hear month to make it last as long as I can. How I am doing that, well still haven’t figured it quite out yet and we are already 5 days in. If you got any ideas, let me know.
Past week was same old same old, blah blah blah. I did get a phone call from my local plant lady (yes I have a plant lady) about a sweet ass rubber plant that came into the store. I ran there in a quick hurry and bought myself that plant as my belated birthday plant. It is big and green and all sorts of pretty. And the pantry, it is now100% done, or until I decide I want more shelves again. I give you a tour once I restock and clean it up a bit. Big exciting things. Ha
So are you watching the Super Bowl today? I are not. Not that I have a problem with people who do, heck, I think it’s awesome that people can get so jazzed about a game, but for me, I just don’t care. Never like sports on tv. Don’t care for commercials, and I don’t eat buffalo wings. What I am going to do is grab a book, a soft blanket, and a bowl of popcorn covered in peanut butter and snuggle on the couch. That sounds super to me.
Internet I looked at this week.
–Weird and Fascinating Ways Animals Use Poop.
-This is amazing. If you know me, I have a weird thing about stickers of any kind )and candy wrappers). The make me gag. Stickers are gross. Sticky, Gooey Produce Stickers Are on Their Way Out
-Kids Say They Like Their Pets More Than They Like Their Siblings. Makes sense.
-I get enough sleep but still want to go camping. Any takers? Not Getting Enough Sleep? Camping In February Might Help
–“Painting” A Portrait With 20,000 Seeds. Whoa.
-I hate talking on the phone, I always have (even before texting), and avoid it at all costs.It seems weird not talking to a person face to face (I text now, but not very much). Psychologists Explain Your Phone Anxiety (and How to Get Over It)
–TIPS FOR CONTACTING YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS because they need to hear from us.
-I made a big jug of this Hot sauce this week. We have been eating it on everything.
A few pictures from the week
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If a big ass pile of balloon animals (and balloon swords and flowers) doesn’t make you crack a smile, well then, that just sucks for you.
A couple of littles slept over this week and took over the house with balloons. Not only did the kids bring their own balloon kits, but the mr has a crap load of balloons himself that he inherited from my late brother-in- law Richard (he would be so happy to know that the mr uses these balloons to drive me crazy….thanks dude) And to top it off, we stopped over at the loft with the kids to grab a few things and there was as large bag of blown up party balloons that must have blown into our yard. Those also ended up in the car ans back at the house. Seriously, the house was flooded with balloons. It was kinda amazing.
This week has gone by like a blur. The mr finally got his wish and got himself a couple of fish. One is a gold fish which he named Lefty, and the other might be a goldfish that I named Dead -in- Two- Weeks (yes, I am an asshole). I am not exactly thrilled to have fish for a few reasons, mainly that I have been fish traumatized. Back in college the mr went through a fish faze. He would get a beta fish, name it, feed it, love it, then a week later the thing would jump form it’s fish bowl and commit fish suicide. It happened 3 times. So yeah, fish don’t do it for me, but the mr is happy so I deal. Plus these fish are goldfish and the tank has a cool lid that grows plants. We shall see.
There was some other stuff, like apartment stuff that happened this week, but mainly it was a quite week. We did finally tackle the kitchen pantry which I painted pink,and started putting up the shelves. Now i just need to pick a color tile for the floor and just get it finished already because once that happens the kitchen will basically be all done. And I will be so happy and I will take lots of picture to show you.
And it’s Sunday. You got any plans? Doing anything spectacular? I am still not feeling 100% which I blame on the weather. Super cold and crazy warm… the ups and downs really screw with me. (but those warm days were really so nice) Winter just needs to dump some snow and let me be cozy for a bit. (not happening this week) But what can you do? For me, I hope to keep it slow today, maybe do some napping, reading, drinking of too much coffee. Just as long as I order the flooring, I should be all set.
Some of the internet browsing I did this week.
-It’s 6 am, I am running at the gym, and I get a text from the mr. It’s a link to this, Dyson 360 Eye. Why he was looking at vacuums at 6am, i could not tell you but what I can tell you is no cleaning robots. NO.
-The world after a snow storm always makes me so happy and peaceful. There’s actually a scientific reason why the world gets quieter after it snows.
–The More You Swear, the More Honest You Are. Fuck yeah.
-I think I might try this for the mr this week. Roast Pasta Before Cooking it.
-I love mustard and am very interested in trying some on this list. THE MODERN PANTRY GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S BEST MUSTARDS
-Saving my pennies for a someday purchase of this Staub Round Cocotte. But this one by Martha is really good too and sooooo much cheaper.
-Muffins are basically cupcakes that people eat fro breakfast, don’t be fooled. Why Muffins Are a Trap.
–Walking In America Remains Dangerous. I would be lying if I said I was never afraid of getting hit.
–Bees Have Just Made the Endangered-Species List. It sucks that it has come to this, but it’s good that there is awareness and protection now.
-This dude is pretty badass. Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World
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Happy New Year! Hope you are all waking up to sunshine in your strut, happiness in you mouth, and kindness in your soul.
So much has happened in the past few weeks. Holidays full of family, friends, birthdays (Happy to Cam, Anthony, and Judah) and all around craziness. My phone got run over by a car(still works!!!),we finally changed the summer tires to snows (thanks Justin!) and Only has now officially moved in behind the couch and is enjoying the life of an indoor cat. We are getting so close with house, so so close. I know a few weeks ago I told you we about the counter top and how excited I was to un-mold it. Well what I don’t think I told you was that we un-molded it and it was fantastic. Then, trying to remove the sink mold from the middle with a hammer, I cracked it! AAAGGGHHHH. That was suck a bitch if a day. But we took it it stride and just made another one. And that one, that one is even better and amazing and is all nice and perfectly perfect. Once we did that we threw up a tile wall, hood vent, light fixtures and all sorts of little things that I can’t remember. Last night we slid the stove into place and fired it up for the first time! It was really stinky and great and I made the mr a pizza for all of his excellent work bringing me fire. It was so freaking satisfying to use an oven and feel slightly normal again. Now all we need to do is finish the cabinets, find a faucet that doesn’t suck, hook up the sink, and a bunch of other stuff and we will be all set. But the oven works so the coming weeks are going to be full of so much oven food so watch out! (i can’t wait to start posting more recipes!!!!)
On top of all the life stuff, I have been sicko all week, and so has the mr. Actually, he has been sick for two weeks and then lovingly gave me his ick. And it sucks. I am tired and snotty and sore and cranks. I have been eating large quantities of raw garlic, swiging apple cider vinegar, and drinking turmeric tea all day. (so I don’t smell the greatest) I bought elderberries to make some syrup a little while back but left them at the loft and we let my dad stay there this week so I didn’t want to go ransack the place looking for them. He is gone now so I’ll go find them and make us a wellness potion. We will be tops soon!
So 2017. You got any resolutions or plans? Me, no resolutions, just to keep on living with intention, kindness and love and to continue to pursue my goals. We have plans for some travels (cross country awesomeness part 2), plans for some life stuff, so we got things. But basically I am just looking forward to making this year good, and to be better with where I place my camera. (I can never seem to find it when I want to take pictures)
Sunday. With today, I am going to relax and recoup. Drink my fluids (tea and coffee) take my naps, and wash the sheets (everyone should start a new year with clean sheets!)
Internet links to click if you like.
-Happiness vs meaning…How about some of both. In 2017, Pursue Meaning Instead of Happiness.
–15 of Carrie Fisher’s Best, Most Honest Feminist Quotes.
-I already charge my cellphone on the machines at the gym, but it it floated , well that would be swell. Floating Gym In Paris Uses Human Energy To Sail Down The Seine River
–A Short Catalog of Foods Discontinued in 2016
-Life is bigger then all of us. As A Rough Year Ends, We Turn To The Cosmos For Some Perspective
–Cross stitching awesomeness
– Maybe 2017 will be the year that I wear pretty things. I really like this dress.
–The Best Things We Read and Ate This Year
-I really want to go back to Iceland.(maybe we will this summer?!) 15+ Iceland Photos You Won’t Believe Are From This Planet
-There is sugar in everything. How Much Sugar Can You Avoid Today?
Pictures of some of the crazy.
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Today is the day, the moment of truth. The concrete counter tops that we poured a few days ago are getting un-molded, flipped, and set into place. I am so super excited and very much scared. Finally we will have a counter and we will be that much closer to a finished kitchen. But what if? What if something happens between removing the mold and placing the counter, like what if it doesn’t fit right or maybe it breaks? I shouldn’t be even thinking about that. It will be great and awesome and the best freaking counter ever. (and Ikea is only a few hours away and sell emergency counter tops)
The house. Oh have we got ourselves a little gem. All week we have been staying here, doing all our living here (minus showers, we take those at the loft) and still managing to get a bit of work done here. Working in the place you live is such a bitch. Plus it’s the holidays which makes everything not covered in tinsel and lights seem unimportant, but we are getting there. A few more weeks and I tell you, we will most likely have ourselves a pretty nearly done 98% livable house.
Even though the house might not be perfect, we still had a the littles over for a school night sleep over where we finished decorating the tree, watched the Santa Clause, made claims on table settings and ate black beans for breakfast. That was a tough morning with -20 cold and no desire to leave the house. We might have been a few minutes late for school, but hey, I never drive in the mornings and didn’t realize 20 minutes wasn’t enough time to compete with the crazy ass traffic. And they might not have been late, so yeah. (I didn’t ask) What else….Well have been on the hunt for doors and glass for doors and all the odds and ends that we need. Every day it seems we end up at the hardware store, the junk store, or the salvage yard looking of that one thing that may or may not exist. It is driving me nuts. The mr, he is really good at the back and forth. Me, not so much. I really wish there was a store made for just me that sold (or gave me for free) everything that I could possible need. Doors, carrots, socks. That would be great. Oh and my crock pot. It has turned into the center of our living because it’s not our main source of hot food. It has been entirely new territory for me (never used a crock pot before last week) and there were a few soups that might not have so great, but I think I have got the hang of it and we have been eating hot food from the crock like champs. I’ll have to share some of my soups and tips with you guys soon. (once the kitchen is done there will be sooooo many new recipes and food fun coming your way!)
So besides the counter tops today, I think I have some serious cleaning to do. The loft is a mess, the house is getting a little on the dusty side, and the pile of dirty clothes has gotten out of hand. I might drag the hamper to the loft, be domestic for the afternoon and do some chores. A little Christmas music, lots of coffee, and amazon prime last minute gift shopping. It should be an interesting afternoon to say the least.
Links brought to you by the internet.
-I want this, it would bring me so much joy. This Infinity Galaxy Puzzle Has No Beginning or End
–5 of Humanity’s Best Ideas of What Dreams Actually Are
-Lapland is on my travel bucket list. 10+ Reasons Why Lapland Is The Most Magical Place To Celebrate Christmas
–Meet The Spleen, The Strange Little Organ That Can Multiply
-Gift idea for your stinky loved ones. Shreddies flatulence filtering garments
-The mr and I are starting to plan our next cross country trip. National Parks all the way (free days are great but if you are planning on going to a lot of parks, get the pass) WHEN TO VISIT ANY US NATIONAL PARK FOR FREE IN 2017
-An Eleven-Story-Tall Tree Hugger Sprouts on the Side of a Building in Chile. Imagine painting that…..
-Food is always a good present.10 Last-Minute Recipes to Make for Homemade Food Gifts
The week in pictures.
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Yes that is a giant tree monster about to eat a Christmas tree. So good.
Have a great day!
It’s officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows….. It’s hella crazy.
Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.
As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do? We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70’s crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night. After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went. Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes. 2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again. And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.
Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I’ll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot. The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter………
Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it’s permanent home. I’ll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!
Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.
-Not really a “gingerbread house” but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.
-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past
–Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night
-A hairy tail has be found. First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber
-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate
–I want this.
-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape’s Butt
–Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (nah, I think I am good)
–A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it
-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR’s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads
Picture fun time.
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I made him throw this sock away….. It was time.
Have a fantasticday.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
March 19, 2017 by maximios • Blog
Well that blizzard happened. And so did a bunch of other crazy shit.
We got slammed here in the northwest parts of Vermont. 30 inches or so all in a days time. It was lovely and exciting and a little daunting. I shoveled and shoveled and shoveled some more. My boots got filled with snow, my mittens soaked, and my arms a bit sore, but all in all I came out unscathed and actually quite happy for the massive amount of the white stuff. If it’s gonna snow, might as well make it a massive snowstorm. And now thanks to all the snow drifting and city workers blowing the sidewalk snow into the front yard, I now have my very own snow tunnel system. Miley and Judah being the architects and the mr and I the labor. Nothing beats a warm sunny day playing in the snow.
And then there was the furnace that shit the bed. The mr has been dealing with this heater at one of our buildings for a few weeks now and finally during the storm, after a few visits with the plumbers, the old hunk of metal decided it was time. On it’s last leg, barely lasting the week, the mr has been obsessively running back and forth to relight the thing just to milk as much heat as possible from it until the plumbers come Monday morning with a all new heating system. (There goes our vacation to the Bahamas. Ok, there was never a vacation planned, but now there won’t be one)
To top off a strange week, one nephew (Jackson) broken an ankle and another (Alex) is in the hospital after his appendix almost exploded. Then we attended an elementary school play where Miley played a bum and a knight and Judah dance like a rat. A day with Sophia throwing snow at the mr and leaving a trail of glitter all over house and car…..What a week. What a week indeed.
I feel like today is kind of a make up day for all the shit that I didn’t get a chance to do the past few days. A little paperwork, a bit of cleaning, grocery shopping. But if I am good and get it all done early enough I hope to escape to the trees and spend part of the day outside being calm and quite. I think I can make it happen. I need to make it happen.
Things on the internet that I found on the internet.
-This is 100% accurate to my life. Everything Always Takes Longer Than You Think
–California Deserts In ‘Super Bloom’ Thanks To A Wet Winter. Wish I could get out there and see it.
– I don’t want to be soft. I want to be human that can handle physical labor. How Does A Nepalese Porter Carry So Much Weight?
–This LEGO Tape Lets You Turn Anything Into Lego-Compatible Surface. The things I would lego tape.
-I am not one for commercials but this one was really sweet. This French Grocery Store Commercial Will Make You Cry
–Honey Nut Cheerios Pulled Its Bee Mascot Because Bees Are Disappearing. #Savethebees.
-I find that when the littles see me eating a vegetable, they want to then eat that vegetable too, sometimes even stealing the food right off my plate. It’s ok, I can share. Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies
–Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission. Boaty McBoatface. Hahahaha
-Not going to lie, but I don’t play Monopoly. I am more or a hungry hungry hippos or Sorry kind of girl. But I bet some people will be excited. Or pissed. Meet the New Monopoly Tokens: A Rubber Ducky, a T-rex and a Penguin
–How Candy Stretches Around the World. I have the hook, now I have to get stretching my own.
Pictures from the past week.
I am getting excited about this snow storm we are suppose to have tonight and am hoping we get dumped on. It had been too long sense we have had a good snow. I really want to build a snow fort in the backyard because that’s why we have a yard.
Earlier this week I had myself a little dance party (what usually happens when I am home alone) and while dancing around, I tweaked my neck. Happens right? Well this really screwed me up. I spent almost an entire day laying on the couch with ice and a hot water bottle thinking I must have broken my neck. Not the best way to spend a day but at least I was able to binge watch a bit of Parks ans Rec (Leslie Knope is my hero) So all week I have taking it kinda easy and doing more paperwork and tax crap (aahhhh!!) than anything else. I am still sore and a little weary about moving my head, but feeling a lot better. Already back to dance parties.
So I guess today I am being dragged to a far off town to pick up a washer and dryer for one of the apartments. Not really what I want to do and I am a little worried about the weather, but it will be ok, we are leaving early. Plus I have trained myself to read in the car without barfing and there is always big cups of coffee on road trips so I will be distracted. And when I get home, I can go back to Parks and Recs, bread making, spoon carving, and watching the snow fall. Good stuff.
Stuff on the internet.
-This is just so good. Harvesting Carrots
-Pretty sweet way to get in a workout. Raise Your (He)art Rate With A Workout At The Met.
-I have heard a lot about this burger and I am still not sure how I feel about it. I don’t think I want to eat something that tastes like meat. Would you? Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free
–NPR’S ARI SHAPIRO ON WHAT A REPORTER LEARNS EATING ON THE ROAD. Always listening to Ari.
-Do you temper chocolate? I usually just stick it in the microwave. Thinking I might give it a go.
A BASIC GUIDE TO TEMPERING CHOCOLATE
– How Much Do You Hate the Sound of People Chewing? Sometime I could care less, but sometimes a lot.
–These photos are amazing.
-Melissa McCarthy As Sean Spicer Is The Best Thing On SNL In Years. i have watched it like 3 times….So fucking funny.
-Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. Music Tickles the Same Brain System As Sex and Drugs. For real.
Some pictures.
February…FEBRUARY! Jeez the past month just flew on by. I am making it my mission in this hear month to make it last as long as I can. How I am doing that, well still haven’t figured it quite out yet and we are already 5 days in. If you got any ideas, let me know.
Past week was same old same old, blah blah blah. I did get a phone call from my local plant lady (yes I have a plant lady) about a sweet ass rubber plant that came into the store. I ran there in a quick hurry and bought myself that plant as my belated birthday plant. It is big and green and all sorts of pretty. And the pantry, it is now100% done, or until I decide I want more shelves again. I give you a tour once I restock and clean it up a bit. Big exciting things. Ha
So are you watching the Super Bowl today? I are not. Not that I have a problem with people who do, heck, I think it’s awesome that people can get so jazzed about a game, but for me, I just don’t care. Never like sports on tv. Don’t care for commercials, and I don’t eat buffalo wings. What I am going to do is grab a book, a soft blanket, and a bowl of popcorn covered in peanut butter and snuggle on the couch. That sounds super to me.
Internet I looked at this week.
–Weird and Fascinating Ways Animals Use Poop.
-This is amazing. If you know me, I have a weird thing about stickers of any kind )and candy wrappers). The make me gag. Stickers are gross. Sticky, Gooey Produce Stickers Are on Their Way Out
-Kids Say They Like Their Pets More Than They Like Their Siblings. Makes sense.
-I get enough sleep but still want to go camping. Any takers? Not Getting Enough Sleep? Camping In February Might Help
–“Painting” A Portrait With 20,000 Seeds. Whoa.
-I hate talking on the phone, I always have (even before texting), and avoid it at all costs.It seems weird not talking to a person face to face (I text now, but not very much). Psychologists Explain Your Phone Anxiety (and How to Get Over It)
–TIPS FOR CONTACTING YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS because they need to hear from us.
-I made a big jug of this Hot sauce this week. We have been eating it on everything.
A few pictures from the week
If a big ass pile of balloon animals (and balloon swords and flowers) doesn’t make you crack a smile, well then, that just sucks for you.
A couple of littles slept over this week and took over the house with balloons. Not only did the kids bring their own balloon kits, but the mr has a crap load of balloons himself that he inherited from my late brother-in- law Richard (he would be so happy to know that the mr uses these balloons to drive me crazy….thanks dude) And to top it off, we stopped over at the loft with the kids to grab a few things and there was as large bag of blown up party balloons that must have blown into our yard. Those also ended up in the car ans back at the house. Seriously, the house was flooded with balloons. It was kinda amazing.
This week has gone by like a blur. The mr finally got his wish and got himself a couple of fish. One is a gold fish which he named Lefty, and the other might be a goldfish that I named Dead -in- Two- Weeks (yes, I am an asshole). I am not exactly thrilled to have fish for a few reasons, mainly that I have been fish traumatized. Back in college the mr went through a fish faze. He would get a beta fish, name it, feed it, love it, then a week later the thing would jump form it’s fish bowl and commit fish suicide. It happened 3 times. So yeah, fish don’t do it for me, but the mr is happy so I deal. Plus these fish are goldfish and the tank has a cool lid that grows plants. We shall see.
There was some other stuff, like apartment stuff that happened this week, but mainly it was a quite week. We did finally tackle the kitchen pantry which I painted pink,and started putting up the shelves. Now i just need to pick a color tile for the floor and just get it finished already because once that happens the kitchen will basically be all done. And I will be so happy and I will take lots of picture to show you.
And it’s Sunday. You got any plans? Doing anything spectacular? I am still not feeling 100% which I blame on the weather. Super cold and crazy warm… the ups and downs really screw with me. (but those warm days were really so nice) Winter just needs to dump some snow and let me be cozy for a bit. (not happening this week) But what can you do? For me, I hope to keep it slow today, maybe do some napping, reading, drinking of too much coffee. Just as long as I order the flooring, I should be all set.
Some of the internet browsing I did this week.
-It’s 6 am, I am running at the gym, and I get a text from the mr. It’s a link to this, Dyson 360 Eye. Why he was looking at vacuums at 6am, i could not tell you but what I can tell you is no cleaning robots. NO.
-The world after a snow storm always makes me so happy and peaceful. There’s actually a scientific reason why the world gets quieter after it snows.
–The More You Swear, the More Honest You Are. Fuck yeah.
-I think I might try this for the mr this week. Roast Pasta Before Cooking it.
-I love mustard and am very interested in trying some on this list. THE MODERN PANTRY GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S BEST MUSTARDS
-Saving my pennies for a someday purchase of this Staub Round Cocotte. But this one by Martha is really good too and sooooo much cheaper.
-Muffins are basically cupcakes that people eat fro breakfast, don’t be fooled. Why Muffins Are a Trap.
–Walking In America Remains Dangerous. I would be lying if I said I was never afraid of getting hit.
–Bees Have Just Made the Endangered-Species List. It sucks that it has come to this, but it’s good that there is awareness and protection now.
-This dude is pretty badass. Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World
Happy New Year! Hope you are all waking up to sunshine in your strut, happiness in you mouth, and kindness in your soul.
So much has happened in the past few weeks. Holidays full of family, friends, birthdays (Happy to Cam, Anthony, and Judah) and all around craziness. My phone got run over by a car(still works!!!),we finally changed the summer tires to snows (thanks Justin!) and Only has now officially moved in behind the couch and is enjoying the life of an indoor cat. We are getting so close with house, so so close. I know a few weeks ago I told you we about the counter top and how excited I was to un-mold it. Well what I don’t think I told you was that we un-molded it and it was fantastic. Then, trying to remove the sink mold from the middle with a hammer, I cracked it! AAAGGGHHHH. That was suck a bitch if a day. But we took it it stride and just made another one. And that one, that one is even better and amazing and is all nice and perfectly perfect. Once we did that we threw up a tile wall, hood vent, light fixtures and all sorts of little things that I can’t remember. Last night we slid the stove into place and fired it up for the first time! It was really stinky and great and I made the mr a pizza for all of his excellent work bringing me fire. It was so freaking satisfying to use an oven and feel slightly normal again. Now all we need to do is finish the cabinets, find a faucet that doesn’t suck, hook up the sink, and a bunch of other stuff and we will be all set. But the oven works so the coming weeks are going to be full of so much oven food so watch out! (i can’t wait to start posting more recipes!!!!)
On top of all the life stuff, I have been sicko all week, and so has the mr. Actually, he has been sick for two weeks and then lovingly gave me his ick. And it sucks. I am tired and snotty and sore and cranks. I have been eating large quantities of raw garlic, swiging apple cider vinegar, and drinking turmeric tea all day. (so I don’t smell the greatest) I bought elderberries to make some syrup a little while back but left them at the loft and we let my dad stay there this week so I didn’t want to go ransack the place looking for them. He is gone now so I’ll go find them and make us a wellness potion. We will be tops soon!
So 2017. You got any resolutions or plans? Me, no resolutions, just to keep on living with intention, kindness and love and to continue to pursue my goals. We have plans for some travels (cross country awesomeness part 2), plans for some life stuff, so we got things. But basically I am just looking forward to making this year good, and to be better with where I place my camera. (I can never seem to find it when I want to take pictures)
Sunday. With today, I am going to relax and recoup. Drink my fluids (tea and coffee) take my naps, and wash the sheets (everyone should start a new year with clean sheets!)
Internet links to click if you like.
-Happiness vs meaning…How about some of both. In 2017, Pursue Meaning Instead of Happiness.
–15 of Carrie Fisher’s Best, Most Honest Feminist Quotes.
-I already charge my cellphone on the machines at the gym, but it it floated , well that would be swell. Floating Gym In Paris Uses Human Energy To Sail Down The Seine River
–A Short Catalog of Foods Discontinued in 2016
-Life is bigger then all of us. As A Rough Year Ends, We Turn To The Cosmos For Some Perspective
–Cross stitching awesomeness
– Maybe 2017 will be the year that I wear pretty things. I really like this dress.
–The Best Things We Read and Ate This Year
-I really want to go back to Iceland.(maybe we will this summer?!) 15+ Iceland Photos You Won’t Believe Are From This Planet
-There is sugar in everything. How Much Sugar Can You Avoid Today?
Pictures of some of the crazy.
Today is the day, the moment of truth. The concrete counter tops that we poured a few days ago are getting un-molded, flipped, and set into place. I am so super excited and very much scared. Finally we will have a counter and we will be that much closer to a finished kitchen. But what if? What if something happens between removing the mold and placing the counter, like what if it doesn’t fit right or maybe it breaks? I shouldn’t be even thinking about that. It will be great and awesome and the best freaking counter ever. (and Ikea is only a few hours away and sell emergency counter tops)
The house. Oh have we got ourselves a little gem. All week we have been staying here, doing all our living here (minus showers, we take those at the loft) and still managing to get a bit of work done here. Working in the place you live is such a bitch. Plus it’s the holidays which makes everything not covered in tinsel and lights seem unimportant, but we are getting there. A few more weeks and I tell you, we will most likely have ourselves a pretty nearly done 98% livable house.
Even though the house might not be perfect, we still had a the littles over for a school night sleep over where we finished decorating the tree, watched the Santa Clause, made claims on table settings and ate black beans for breakfast. That was a tough morning with -20 cold and no desire to leave the house. We might have been a few minutes late for school, but hey, I never drive in the mornings and didn’t realize 20 minutes wasn’t enough time to compete with the crazy ass traffic. And they might not have been late, so yeah. (I didn’t ask) What else….Well have been on the hunt for doors and glass for doors and all the odds and ends that we need. Every day it seems we end up at the hardware store, the junk store, or the salvage yard looking of that one thing that may or may not exist. It is driving me nuts. The mr, he is really good at the back and forth. Me, not so much. I really wish there was a store made for just me that sold (or gave me for free) everything that I could possible need. Doors, carrots, socks. That would be great. Oh and my crock pot. It has turned into the center of our living because it’s not our main source of hot food. It has been entirely new territory for me (never used a crock pot before last week) and there were a few soups that might not have so great, but I think I have got the hang of it and we have been eating hot food from the crock like champs. I’ll have to share some of my soups and tips with you guys soon. (once the kitchen is done there will be sooooo many new recipes and food fun coming your way!)
So besides the counter tops today, I think I have some serious cleaning to do. The loft is a mess, the house is getting a little on the dusty side, and the pile of dirty clothes has gotten out of hand. I might drag the hamper to the loft, be domestic for the afternoon and do some chores. A little Christmas music, lots of coffee, and amazon prime last minute gift shopping. It should be an interesting afternoon to say the least.
Links brought to you by the internet.
-I want this, it would bring me so much joy. This Infinity Galaxy Puzzle Has No Beginning or End
–5 of Humanity’s Best Ideas of What Dreams Actually Are
-Lapland is on my travel bucket list. 10+ Reasons Why Lapland Is The Most Magical Place To Celebrate Christmas
–Meet The Spleen, The Strange Little Organ That Can Multiply
-Gift idea for your stinky loved ones. Shreddies flatulence filtering garments
-The mr and I are starting to plan our next cross country trip. National Parks all the way (free days are great but if you are planning on going to a lot of parks, get the pass) WHEN TO VISIT ANY US NATIONAL PARK FOR FREE IN 2017
-An Eleven-Story-Tall Tree Hugger Sprouts on the Side of a Building in Chile. Imagine painting that…..
-Food is always a good present.10 Last-Minute Recipes to Make for Homemade Food Gifts
The week in pictures.
Yes that is a giant tree monster about to eat a Christmas tree. So good.
Have a great day!
It’s officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows….. It’s hella crazy.
Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.
As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do? We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70’s crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night. After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went. Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes. 2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again. And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.
Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I’ll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot. The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter………
Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it’s permanent home. I’ll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!
Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.
-Not really a “gingerbread house” but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.
-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past
–Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night
-A hairy tail has be found. First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber
-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate
–I want this.
-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape’s Butt
–Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (nah, I think I am good)
–A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it
-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR’s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads
Picture fun time.
I made him throw this sock away….. It was time.
Have a fantasticday.