Sunday, August 31, 2008

New Computer

My "new" computer arrived this week, and Pete set it up today. I was quite dubious that it would work , because it's a refurbished model without a remote, or many ports/drives, and came pre-scuffed and dented. It's not shiny. Pete assures me that this computer will work, despite appearances, and that I don't need a fancy computer to check email, upload photos to print, use the internet, or play spider solitaire. We'll see... but, for right now... it feels nice not to have to borrow Pete's computer, and be able to use the internet once again in the middle of the day. Happy Labor Day weekend!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Green Colored Glasses?

You See the World Through Green Colored Glasses
You live your life with generosity. You feel like your life is abundant, and you are very giving toward those around you.
You judge all your interactions through the lens of harmony. You figure you have something to learn from everyone, and you listen well.

You face challenges with a persistent attitude. You can see the prize at the end of the road, and you have the strength to get there.
You see love as the utmost expression of self-esteem. You have to love yourself before you can truly love someone else.

At your worst, you are greedy and selfish. You love money more than you'd like to admit.
You are happiest when you are in nature. You appreciate the feeling of balance that being outdoors brings you.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cinder

Once again, we had our "annual" bat in the house. This time it did not come through the 3rd floor windows, but through our bedroom floor. I noticed it at 2 am, when I was in a sleep-induced stupor, flying circles round our bedroom. We were able to find a piece of loose siding near our floor where the bat entered... The return of the bat seems to time well with Cleo's month-long absence, and the return of squirrels to the yard... so, yesterday's top priority was finding another kitten. We now have 'Cinder', a male long-haired black cat with a silvery glow. He is afraid of everything, especially Hondo. He hisses and spits at everything, and has been hiding in the fireplace and under furniture. We hope he becomes more friendly, and less afraid. In the meantime, we are still looking for a short-haired female kitten with a pleasant disposition, please let me know if you know of any in the downstate area.

San Diego Photos












Photos from lovely San Diego. Although I was there for work, I had a bit of time to relax and enjoy the scenery. I am having difficulty with the way Blogger is posting the photos, but 3 are of Seaport Village, a shopping area and park on the San Diego bay. The remaining photos are taken of Horton Plaza shopping mall/Gaslamp Quarter surrounding my hotel.

Haircut


Despite how great a new haircut feels, it makes little difference on long hair. I recently got 3" taken off my hair. Anyway, I chickened out... I had planned to go short, maybe next time. On the left is my "before", on the right is my "after".

Friday, August 22, 2008

Is it wrong....?

Pete's co-worker is now passing kidney stones, so Pete's trip to Mexico has been post-poned. I get him home for a while, and we will not be hurridly re-packing suitcases this weekend. Is it wrong for me to be happy that... his coworker is out of commission (and Pete will be home with me)?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Time... in Reverse

Today, I am puttering around. Trying to clean up, and restore my sanity. I have finally unpacked, and have put away the suitcases... Laundry is caught up (for a short time), we had a "real" dinner (pork chops, spaghetti, and steamed broccoli) and the dishes are all put away. I plan to make additional progress on my current painting project.

Yesterday, I visited the in-laws. It was nice to catch up with them, as we have both been busy! I also was productive in my painting endeavor--nearly done with the insiduous taping, and was able to finish the top hallway and part of the main level stairs.

Sunday, we had a few couples over after church! It was fun to see our friends again. Pete is thinking that his next project will be a 1/4 size replica of Comerica Park to play strike-out (whiffle ball) with friends. It's kinda funny to watch 20-somethings play a game associated with pre-teens... but, they have fun & that's what matters!

I arrived back home on Saturday to be wisked away to the Tigers game! And surprise... they won!

San Diego was beautiful, and though I was traveling for work, I still had a few moments to tour the city. I got to see the ocean, a few palm trees, and shopping malls! It was a quick trip, 3 days in length starting last Thursday. As soon as I get my computer (should be here shortly), I will post photos of the coast.

Wednesday, we got to meet our friends new baby girl! She is nearly a month old. Its amazing how quickly time flies, when life gets busy.

That's all for the recent updates. I hope that you have an enjoyable evening!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Photos from Ed & Michelle's wedding

The newlyweds are back at home, and we were honored with a visit last night!
Here a a few photos from their wedding: The whole last-name-with-punctuation clan
My dapper husband and I

Have a wonderful day!

Updates on our house

We've been slacking at doing house projects for the last little bit, due to travels and work schedules. But, we seem to be getting back in the groove of it lately!

Our most recent projects:
*Repainting the downstairs & upstairs hallways
*Repainting the floor of Hondo's room
*Mowing down the area where the barn used to be (weeds got to be >3' high! )

Today, I worked on taping and prepping the hallway walls for paint. It feels good to be making progress on our house project list again, despite our recent surge of "busy-ness" (travels, and work projects). Have a great day!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Squish Sally

I was uploading photos from the weekend of Ed & Michelle's wedding, and came across this one:
It was nice to get up North for their wedding, and see all of the out of town family! There was always activity at Adam & Amy's, and Michelle ensured that Ed's family knew about all of the wedding events. The wedding itself was beautiful, and Pete & I are excited that they will be living near us downstate. I will post photos from their wedding later, after review by the newlyweds!

I found the largest bug that I have seen (yet) in Michigan! I was playing outside with Hondo, and attempting to remove a brush pile... when across the black finish of the burn barrel crawls this huge green bug. It sat so nicely for photos in the yard, that I ran to get a mason jar to catch it! I felt like a kid again, poking air holes in the top of the container and finding a leaf to create a home for the oversized insect...

Note: After showing Pete, the bug was released in the lilac tree/raspberry patch behind the house. I hope it will live a long life, preferably eating pesky mosquitos or other annoying insects!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Concerning the frazzled

Right now, my mind feels fried.

Pete and I have been enjoying a wonderful, fun, and full summer complete with trips out of town, family weddings, and friend's. However, right now, I would settle for a 3 day stretch to do laundry, clean the house, and go for a walk or run. [I am low on clothes to the point that I am raiding my winter clothes stock for work.] Tonight, Pete's finishing a project, and I've been studying material for work. I realize that the craziness in our lives is self-imposed; most of it relates to fun outings or work or hobbies... but, I would settle for a 3 day stretch of time to get "caught up" from the last month's vacations, and settle back into the rhythm of our life!

BTW: Pete and I both are going out of town again this month (separately). It seems travel is becoming a more frequent commodity as it relates to his job duties. Thankfully, this time out of town seems limited to a 4 day stretch for him, and 3 day stretch for me.... and both of us are expected to be in town for the 3 celebrations in the upcoming month [3 year anniversary, Labor Day, Pete's birthday]. Pete gets to use his passport to explore the wonders of industrial Mexico; I will remain slightly north of the border in San Diego.