Hello all!
We've moved to this address:
itsokwiththeparks.blogspot.com
UPDATE YOUR READERS! (all six of you, haha)
5.17.2011
5.12.2011
Who's your crawdaddy?
BACKSTORY:
One of the first things that I learned to love about Eric was his adventuresome relationship with food. We'd find ourselves at the grocery store and he would quite easily get distracted by something he had never tried before. If it was particularly intriguing, whatever it was, would make its way into our basket. Did we have any idea how to cook it? Probably not. Perhaps also what made it fun was finding a random foreign youtube video with really awful music and poorly translated subtitles in order to learn how to properly dice and eat a jicama root.
MAIN POINT!:
The other day I was grocery shopping at the local asian market. I found this:
Had to get it, right? I mean who wouldn't want to try this delectable looking ambiguous fruit? She got all dolled up in her leopard print goods, gave herself a vague but but enticing name... I couldn't help but take her home. :) Really, it was rindless chunks of what looked like watermelon only with small sesame seed sized black bugs stuck in white spider web looking flesh. It mildly tasted of melon with a slight crunch. After a little research I've now learned to call it dragonfruit or pitaya. It really looks like this:
When grocery shopping I also like to send him texts at work like this one: "DINNER!"
You could say that we don't discriminate when it comes to food too much. (I didn't buy the pork uteris, I promise.) So when Eric asked if I wanted to attend the crawfish boil sponsored by some company that is trying to woo Eric's employer I said, "Heck, YES!" Sidenote: wooage of energy companies by other companies = completely ridiculous. With this new job I've been learning a lot about definitions, ie. "free lunch." (More on that at some possible future juncture of time) Back to the crustaceans... NEITHER of us had had crawfish before. So, this is what happened:
There is a right way and a plehhhhhhhthora of wrong ways to eat a crawfish. You'll know it's the wrong way when you've crushed the head and its barely intelligent bits are seeping down your hand. To save you from the horror of pretreating the crawdaddy brain out of your favorite shirt, I've included a great youtube video. 1-800-CRAWFISH!
Remember: Twist, twist, pinch and pull. AHHHhh, delicious.
Also, we are still here. There were tornado watches yesterday, but we survived. I don't know if our vegtable garden will if we keep getting THIS kind of rain:
Or this kind of hail:
(May 16th 2010, OKC... it really starts cooking around a minute and a half in, if you can handle all the OMGS)
So much for the cucumbers, right?
One of the first things that I learned to love about Eric was his adventuresome relationship with food. We'd find ourselves at the grocery store and he would quite easily get distracted by something he had never tried before. If it was particularly intriguing, whatever it was, would make its way into our basket. Did we have any idea how to cook it? Probably not. Perhaps also what made it fun was finding a random foreign youtube video with really awful music and poorly translated subtitles in order to learn how to properly dice and eat a jicama root.
MAIN POINT!:
The other day I was grocery shopping at the local asian market. I found this:
Had to get it, right? I mean who wouldn't want to try this delectable looking ambiguous fruit? She got all dolled up in her leopard print goods, gave herself a vague but but enticing name... I couldn't help but take her home. :) Really, it was rindless chunks of what looked like watermelon only with small sesame seed sized black bugs stuck in white spider web looking flesh. It mildly tasted of melon with a slight crunch. After a little research I've now learned to call it dragonfruit or pitaya. It really looks like this:
When grocery shopping I also like to send him texts at work like this one: "DINNER!"
You could say that we don't discriminate when it comes to food too much. (I didn't buy the pork uteris, I promise.) So when Eric asked if I wanted to attend the crawfish boil sponsored by some company that is trying to woo Eric's employer I said, "Heck, YES!" Sidenote: wooage of energy companies by other companies = completely ridiculous. With this new job I've been learning a lot about definitions, ie. "free lunch." (More on that at some possible future juncture of time) Back to the crustaceans... NEITHER of us had had crawfish before. So, this is what happened:
There is a right way and a plehhhhhhhthora of wrong ways to eat a crawfish. You'll know it's the wrong way when you've crushed the head and its barely intelligent bits are seeping down your hand. To save you from the horror of pretreating the crawdaddy brain out of your favorite shirt, I've included a great youtube video. 1-800-CRAWFISH!Remember: Twist, twist, pinch and pull. AHHHhh, delicious.
Also, we are still here. There were tornado watches yesterday, but we survived. I don't know if our vegtable garden will if we keep getting THIS kind of rain:
Or this kind of hail:
(May 16th 2010, OKC... it really starts cooking around a minute and a half in, if you can handle all the OMGS)
So much for the cucumbers, right?
4.21.2011
Ikea Birthday with a side of fossils
When we decided we were going to move to Oklahoma City, Eric and I were sitting in the living room at my in-laws researching whether or not all the things we know and loved may also be in OKC, which resulted in this conversation:
E: I WONDER IF IT HAS A COSTCO! Where am I going to get great prices on CHEESE?!
S: DO YOU THINK THERE'S AN IKEA!? How are we going to thriftily furnish our place with modern (stop for a Swedish meatball lunch in the cafe) clean lines?!
(Father-in-law walks in the front door from work)
Doug: Hey guys, how's it going?
Us: Good, were were just talking about places we hope are in Oklahoma City.
Doug: Oh!, I wonder if they have a temple!?
.........
It was a good lesson for Eric and I.
ANNNNYway, for my birthday yesterday, I drove down to Dallas to visit MRS Julie Vest-Getmanenko and her baby boy Nikolai. We pounded that Ikea pavement, because alas you see, OKC does not have an Ikea. Eric and I were punished for our lack of priorities. Haha. We are now card carrying members of Sam's Club because are we ever in Walton country and I now have a three hour cinnamon roll drive. Sheesh. But you know, when you get to spend a day with these people it makes it well worth the trip.
Eric had been gone since Sunday to south Texas for a business trip, but was unexpectedly able to come back last night, so that was a welcome surprise. My geologist gave me business trip birthday fossils, as well as, silpat baking mats, really good books to read and cookbooks with lots of pictures. He kind of knows me some. It's like we are married.
Also, the kitchen is coming along. Cabinets are drying, hardware is next and then a last coat of paint on the wall. Those cabinets... never again. Two coats primer, two coats paint. And when front and back both have to dry, all you feel like is that your life is painting and waiting on cabinets. ...It's rough. Ha.
E: I WONDER IF IT HAS A COSTCO! Where am I going to get great prices on CHEESE?!
S: DO YOU THINK THERE'S AN IKEA!? How are we going to thriftily furnish our place with modern (stop for a Swedish meatball lunch in the cafe) clean lines?!
(Father-in-law walks in the front door from work)
Doug: Hey guys, how's it going?
Us: Good, were were just talking about places we hope are in Oklahoma City.
Doug: Oh!, I wonder if they have a temple!?
.........
It was a good lesson for Eric and I.
ANNNNYway, for my birthday yesterday, I drove down to Dallas to visit MRS Julie Vest-Getmanenko and her baby boy Nikolai. We pounded that Ikea pavement, because alas you see, OKC does not have an Ikea. Eric and I were punished for our lack of priorities. Haha. We are now card carrying members of Sam's Club because are we ever in Walton country and I now have a three hour cinnamon roll drive. Sheesh. But you know, when you get to spend a day with these people it makes it well worth the trip.
Eric had been gone since Sunday to south Texas for a business trip, but was unexpectedly able to come back last night, so that was a welcome surprise. My geologist gave me business trip birthday fossils, as well as, silpat baking mats, really good books to read and cookbooks with lots of pictures. He kind of knows me some. It's like we are married.
Also, the kitchen is coming along. Cabinets are drying, hardware is next and then a last coat of paint on the wall. Those cabinets... never again. Two coats primer, two coats paint. And when front and back both have to dry, all you feel like is that your life is painting and waiting on cabinets. ...It's rough. Ha.
4.04.2011
Everything is OK
Like our new family picture? Ha. If you must know, the wind DOES sweep across the plains. Pretty sure moving is worthy of a post. Eric's Nana teases him about erasing a hole through the page in her address book. Currently we are in Oklahoma City. (Much more on that later) But, in case your need a refresher, here is a quick review of the last six months... (or just skip it all together and check out our awesome 70s kitchen at the end of this post that I'm working on)
October:
- The economy give us the willy nillies and so does the new company Eric was working for despite great promises and high hopes. We had a job but were looking for greater security. Back to job searching.
- Eric considers continuing education and getting a PhD. Perhaps more school = better job prospects and competitiveness? Applies to six grad schools. Meets with professors and continues to interview for jobs. Feedback: not enough positions available at this time.
December:
- Sarah finishes all course work for B.S. in Behavioral Science. Wahoo!
- Eric finds job in PA mudlogging until we hear back from possible grad programs.
- We BOTH move to Pennsylvania. No more of this Florida business.
January:
- Work on Blue Ridge Summit accent.
- Sarah starts looking for a job.
- Eric learns what it means to curse like a mudlogger by live on a drill site for a few weeks at a time. :)
- Sarah checks the mailbox everyday for acceptance letters.
February:
- Sarah makes massive 80th birthday cake for Grandad Fred and finally gets an job interview.
- Request of second interview with company in Oklahoma City. (Note: original interview was October 2010. Expansion apparently happens... wishfully ponder a recovering economy.)
February 7th:
- 8am: Eric interviews for job.
- 3pm: While running errands Sarah checks the mail at the PO BOX in Blue Ridge Summit. There's a letter. She wants to rip it open. Calls Eric.
- 3:05pm Eric gets accepted to his first grad school.
- 3:07pm Sarah does dance in Walmart parking lot.
- 3:30pm Eric prepares to board flight back to PA. Sarah looks at list and considers what to make for dinner.
- 3:32pm Eric gets emailed job offer to be Associate Geologist for a Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For.
- 3:33pm Eric calls wife.
- 3:34pm Wife cries and buys a pork roast.
- 3:45pm Husband boards plane and calls it a day.
Remaining February/March Whirlwind:
- More acceptance letters come.
- Lots of discussion.
- Sarah inadvertently eats a stink bug.
- Explain to Simon we have decided to move to Oklahoma City.
- Quick hurry to visit everyone we planned to have six months to see while temporarily in PA.
- Visit Aden and Jaehee in Boston.
- Visit Wink and Patti in Richmond.
- Visit Barb and Bob in Charlotte.
- Pack AGAIN.
- MOVE AGAIN.
- Arrive in OKC.
- Sarah presented at a research conference in CA.
- Unpack AGAIN.
- Eric started new job.
April looks like:
- Sarah officially graduates! (and takes a big breath)
- Planting our garden.
- Lots of painting.
- Sarah job searching.
- Learning to be big kids.
- Making new friends.
- Building a storm shelter...
And there you have it.
I guess you could say things may be calming down for a while now. I certainly hope so. Perhaps I will post a few things from our adventures these past few months. In the meantime I have a lot of work to do in our new place. Eric's parents were so good to us while we lived with them back home in PA. I really couldn't ask for better or more supportive in-laws BUT I love knowing where MY spatula is in MY kitchen. And this is the first project I'm throwing myself into. Proudly aware of our food snobbery, Eric and I spend most of our time here together and it makes me miss our old kitchen. This was the before/after on the old apartment kitchen.
After painting the wall, I realized the cabinets were this weird peachy, pink cream, so I just painted them white. I like a nice white kitchen. And guess what we got here in OKC?
So, besides those fabulous 70's cabinets with the gothic iron hardware, I've got to say, check out that awesome fridge. That was a craigslist find everyone. Frankly the guy felt like giving us a deal because when we priced it later... it was about a third of the original cost. Also, by deal I mean much less than what we would have paid new for a plain definitely smaller option. And let me tell you, Eric and I are appliance EXPERTS now having moved to OK. (Renting and finding bargains = being able to pay off student loans.) Later this week after a special delivery I will post about another appliance adventure.
Lastly, yes I'm painting the cabinets AND the walls in the kitchen... any advice on colors? I'm at a bit of a loss. White dishwasher, black stove, stainless steel fridge seriously complicates things.
11.22.2010
Liberty and Holiday Travel
Yes, this is a total procrastination strategy that I'm employing while here in the library.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about what it takes to fly these days. I would like to add to the discussion on our blog that two people read. Haha. Why write about it then? Well, I feel like I have an opinion and I'm not very good at expressing it in the condensed form of a tweet or facebook status. So here goes...
As a student I have a really great job that is super flexible. I get paid to drive teenagers who are currently in treatment at a residential facility to local appointments: dentist, gynecologist, podiatrist, court, etc. I've held hands for cavities, pap smears and hang nails. Part of my job also includes taking our clients to the airport for when they go on home visits. I routinely drive to the airport and go through security at least once a week because my job requires I escort them to the gate. Through this lens of frequent security screenings and gate sittings, (yes, I sometimes wake up with the Big Sister alert ringing in my ears about not watching other people's bags) and while I admittedly never actually get on any flights, I feel I can personally comment here with confidence on TSA procedure and how I feel about it.
Just like discussing with a client where they would like to eat after I take them through security I also discuss with them what kind of screening they would prefer. I think people often forget to consider this before actually being confronted with the consequence of forgetting, like in the case of water still being in your water bottle.
I'll only comment here on my experience with Salt Lake City Airport because that is where almost all of my experience comes from. I'm not going to look up what TSA regulation is for the "average" airport because a)I'm too lazy and 2) my comments may not generalize to the "average" flight experience. (I'll address this last point at the end)
Going through SLCA there are signs. Along with the signs that inform you what you can take with you through security, after showing my boarding pass and ID to a TSA agent, I then have a choice which line to go through and at the beginning of the line with the body scanner there is a sign. It shows a picture of a body scan, instructs you how to stand and informs travelers those reviewing the scans cannot physically see you as you go through. I won't discuss the politics of the use of body scans here and you know, I'm not even going to share my own views about them, but I am more than willing to say that if you know how to buy a plane ticket then you are literate enough to read the signs about your options for security measures in order to travel. Be smart and realize you are fully capable of choosing your own adventure: body scan or metal detector. In my opinion, choosing the line for the body scanner, refusing to then be scanned and then saying, "No. I will not comply with a pat down," is the equivalent of saying, "I was too busy to read the sign." We read signs which regulate and prohibit our travel "rights" all the time... speed limits, traffic lights, "click it or ticket", and maybe you know that is another issue entirely, (big brother laws that cite you for not wearing a seat belt) but the point is there is a sign. Read it. If you are worked up over a fine because you were late for a flight and failed to read the sign, went in the body scanner line and then refused to have a "physical pat-down,"... go commiserate with everyone who gets speeding tickets because they were late to an appointment and were too busy to pay attention to the way they were also traveling. What about my travel rights? Do I have the right to expect you to be a responsible traveler? I guess I'm just saying that if you are going to complain about the rules, be responsible enough to read them before you break them, yeah?
While I'm at it, I'm going to take on Ben Franklin. In contrast to his more stately and wise offerings he once apparently said that those "who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." What a judgmental and irresponsible thing to say! Who are you Ben Franklin to tell me how to define my own view of liberty? Does it have to be the same as yours for me to deserve what you consider to be essential? According to you, my political competence not only suggests whether or not I qualify for civil liberty but also my right to personal safety. Doesn't sound very unalienable to me. Also, BF, because you are so wonderfully quotable, and people listen to you, they like to use this quote as a response to invalidate another person's view by telling them they don't deserve whatever their personal definition of liberty is because it is different than their own. See how that works? Don't worry, I'll smile back at your picture when I see it on a bank note, because a) it means I'm holding a hundred dollar bill and 2) you're American just like me and just as on this here blog you can say whatever you want and so can those other people. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Don't get me wrong, I love being American. I love being able to have whatever idiotic and ignorant opinion I wish to ascribe to. Just don't tell me when and whether or not I deserve the choice to decide what that is. I may (or may not) just go out and vote about it. And really that's what I think it should come down to, right?
Here follows a guide to traveling this season:
1) Take an Airborne and use hand sanitizer
2) Wear slip on shoes/boots
3) Wear socks under these shoes/boots... lots of sweaty feet are going to be walking where you are going to
4) You really don't need everything you packed, but I get it. Americans like to have options and I'm no exception.
5) If you are sick and traveling, that bottle of 3oz+ pepto or cough syrup you forgot you had in your bag does not have to go in the trash. TSA may tell you it does but tell them you are sick and need it. You won't get slapped with an $11,000 fine.
6) Educate yourself BEFORE you go to the airport. You said you did in order to purchase your ticket. (Online at least. When was the last time you used a travel agent?)
Here's the list of approved items:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/holiday.shtm
Advanced Screening procedure overview:
http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/index.shtm
7) If you are in a hurry (or just impatient) LOOK to consider your options and read the signs. Body scan or metal detector? Grandma in a wheel chair with multiple artificial joints or a family of five, (stroller and five dvd players/laptops each for the kids)? You choose your own adventure.
Hopefully you are better at choosing lines than Eric. He has the MOST amazing talent of picking the longest line at the grocery store. Sometimes I have the urge to buy something separate just to race him and win. Haha.
For the record, if you haven't noticed, I'm glad there is someone checking to make sure your aren't wearing a diaper bomb because there really isn't a generalizable flight experience:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/22/airports.holiday.travel/index.html?iref=NS1
Other nuggets for consumption:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/16/big-sisters-police-state/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/22/snowglobes-pumpkin-pie-tsa-issues-thanksgiving-rules-air-travel/
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/r-emmett-tyrrell/2010/11/18/pat-me-pat-me/
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/22/tsa-chief-worries-over-body-scan-protest/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022876-503544.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40320562/ns/travel-news/
"Don't touch my junk"
How to write to your representative:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm
How to find out who your representative is:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about what it takes to fly these days. I would like to add to the discussion on our blog that two people read. Haha. Why write about it then? Well, I feel like I have an opinion and I'm not very good at expressing it in the condensed form of a tweet or facebook status. So here goes...
As a student I have a really great job that is super flexible. I get paid to drive teenagers who are currently in treatment at a residential facility to local appointments: dentist, gynecologist, podiatrist, court, etc. I've held hands for cavities, pap smears and hang nails. Part of my job also includes taking our clients to the airport for when they go on home visits. I routinely drive to the airport and go through security at least once a week because my job requires I escort them to the gate. Through this lens of frequent security screenings and gate sittings, (yes, I sometimes wake up with the Big Sister alert ringing in my ears about not watching other people's bags) and while I admittedly never actually get on any flights, I feel I can personally comment here with confidence on TSA procedure and how I feel about it.
Just like discussing with a client where they would like to eat after I take them through security I also discuss with them what kind of screening they would prefer. I think people often forget to consider this before actually being confronted with the consequence of forgetting, like in the case of water still being in your water bottle.
I'll only comment here on my experience with Salt Lake City Airport because that is where almost all of my experience comes from. I'm not going to look up what TSA regulation is for the "average" airport because a)I'm too lazy and 2) my comments may not generalize to the "average" flight experience. (I'll address this last point at the end)
Going through SLCA there are signs. Along with the signs that inform you what you can take with you through security, after showing my boarding pass and ID to a TSA agent, I then have a choice which line to go through and at the beginning of the line with the body scanner there is a sign. It shows a picture of a body scan, instructs you how to stand and informs travelers those reviewing the scans cannot physically see you as you go through. I won't discuss the politics of the use of body scans here and you know, I'm not even going to share my own views about them, but I am more than willing to say that if you know how to buy a plane ticket then you are literate enough to read the signs about your options for security measures in order to travel. Be smart and realize you are fully capable of choosing your own adventure: body scan or metal detector. In my opinion, choosing the line for the body scanner, refusing to then be scanned and then saying, "No. I will not comply with a pat down," is the equivalent of saying, "I was too busy to read the sign." We read signs which regulate and prohibit our travel "rights" all the time... speed limits, traffic lights, "click it or ticket", and maybe you know that is another issue entirely, (big brother laws that cite you for not wearing a seat belt) but the point is there is a sign. Read it. If you are worked up over a fine because you were late for a flight and failed to read the sign, went in the body scanner line and then refused to have a "physical pat-down,"... go commiserate with everyone who gets speeding tickets because they were late to an appointment and were too busy to pay attention to the way they were also traveling. What about my travel rights? Do I have the right to expect you to be a responsible traveler? I guess I'm just saying that if you are going to complain about the rules, be responsible enough to read them before you break them, yeah?
While I'm at it, I'm going to take on Ben Franklin. In contrast to his more stately and wise offerings he once apparently said that those "who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." What a judgmental and irresponsible thing to say! Who are you Ben Franklin to tell me how to define my own view of liberty? Does it have to be the same as yours for me to deserve what you consider to be essential? According to you, my political competence not only suggests whether or not I qualify for civil liberty but also my right to personal safety. Doesn't sound very unalienable to me. Also, BF, because you are so wonderfully quotable, and people listen to you, they like to use this quote as a response to invalidate another person's view by telling them they don't deserve whatever their personal definition of liberty is because it is different than their own. See how that works? Don't worry, I'll smile back at your picture when I see it on a bank note, because a) it means I'm holding a hundred dollar bill and 2) you're American just like me and just as on this here blog you can say whatever you want and so can those other people. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Don't get me wrong, I love being American. I love being able to have whatever idiotic and ignorant opinion I wish to ascribe to. Just don't tell me when and whether or not I deserve the choice to decide what that is. I may (or may not) just go out and vote about it. And really that's what I think it should come down to, right?
Here follows a guide to traveling this season:
1) Take an Airborne and use hand sanitizer
2) Wear slip on shoes/boots
3) Wear socks under these shoes/boots... lots of sweaty feet are going to be walking where you are going to
4) You really don't need everything you packed, but I get it. Americans like to have options and I'm no exception.
5) If you are sick and traveling, that bottle of 3oz+ pepto or cough syrup you forgot you had in your bag does not have to go in the trash. TSA may tell you it does but tell them you are sick and need it. You won't get slapped with an $11,000 fine.
6) Educate yourself BEFORE you go to the airport. You said you did in order to purchase your ticket. (Online at least. When was the last time you used a travel agent?)
Here's the list of approved items:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/holiday.shtm
Advanced Screening procedure overview:
http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/index.shtm
7) If you are in a hurry (or just impatient) LOOK to consider your options and read the signs. Body scan or metal detector? Grandma in a wheel chair with multiple artificial joints or a family of five, (stroller and five dvd players/laptops each for the kids)? You choose your own adventure.
Hopefully you are better at choosing lines than Eric. He has the MOST amazing talent of picking the longest line at the grocery store. Sometimes I have the urge to buy something separate just to race him and win. Haha.
For the record, if you haven't noticed, I'm glad there is someone checking to make sure your aren't wearing a diaper bomb because there really isn't a generalizable flight experience:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/22/airports.holiday.travel/index.html?iref=NS1
Other nuggets for consumption:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/16/big-sisters-police-state/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/22/snowglobes-pumpkin-pie-tsa-issues-thanksgiving-rules-air-travel/
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/r-emmett-tyrrell/2010/11/18/pat-me-pat-me/
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/22/tsa-chief-worries-over-body-scan-protest/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022876-503544.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40320562/ns/travel-news/
"Don't touch my junk"
How to write to your representative:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm
How to find out who your representative is:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
9.10.2010
$3 Lampshade Redo
I've had a few summer projects that I have been trying to finish up while we still have good weather weekends. I found this hideous lampshade at DI. It had a 'beautiful' sequiny headband the entire way around the top. I already had some fabric so I picked up some matching grosgrain ribbon and WALLAH!
It now hangs in our kitchen over our table. I'm going to be uploading a kitchen before and after here before too long. So here's a sneak peek with the finished lampshade. It was super easy. Spray glue is a glorious thing. I cut a little two much off the bottom and had to improvise a bottom ring solution because the original no longer fit but ehh, it came out rather well despite my mistake. Otherwise this whole project would have took only half an hour.
Lampshade: $1
Ribbon: $2
Spray Glue: already owned
Fabric: already owned
Ikea fixture: already owned
It now hangs in our kitchen over our table. I'm going to be uploading a kitchen before and after here before too long. So here's a sneak peek with the finished lampshade. It was super easy. Spray glue is a glorious thing. I cut a little two much off the bottom and had to improvise a bottom ring solution because the original no longer fit but ehh, it came out rather well despite my mistake. Otherwise this whole project would have took only half an hour.
Lampshade: $1
Ribbon: $2
Spray Glue: already owned
Fabric: already owned
Ikea fixture: already owned
8.29.2010
August Anteloping
Dear Summer:
You are sneaky. You held such grand promise. Promise of productivity for personal projects. (Holy alliteration.) Promise of gentle warm sun. Promise of plentiful garden harvests. Promise of relaxing vacations.
The girls of 3LW can back me up here: I'm getting a little tired of your broken promises, promises.
I got through not even half of my summer projects. Utah summer sun is SWELTERING. I am sick of looking up recipes for zucchini. Family vacations make me gain weight. Some days you simply left me to a dark cool room, alone, to suck on an otter pop. Your heat drove my dog to sleep on the cool floor of the bathroom, by the toilet, where I would find him looking like an exhausted hungover teenager every morning.
You'd think that after living in Provo for four years I would learn to not be seduced by your awful winter with thoughts of your awful summer. Fall please rescue me. Please stay for more than two weeks this year before there is snow on Timp. Please help me save up my money for the boots that I really want and not spend it on silly things in the meantime. I don't care what Spring says about you, you are my favorite. Winter can have it's "cozy" cheer. Bah-humbug. That's only an euphemism for hermit yourself in your house breathing in cold virus contaminated circulated air. Summer, you make me sweat. I choose when I sweat, not you. Fall. Bring your changing leaves for me to crunch with my flip flops on evening walks when I need a sweater. THAT is cozy. Cozy crunchy. Yeah, bring that. And stay. At least for three weeks this year.
Sincerely,
SP
P.S. I only forgive you on evenings like this:
Or when I'm standing on a mountain and the wind is cooling me off like this:
Or when my eyes go all squinty in your brightness and all I can see is you making my husband look EXTRA special good:
oOOooo, or even both of us at the same time while standing in fabulously warm salty water that's perfect for rock skipping and has an unlimited supply of skippable rocks:
Only then, do I forgive you.
http://picasaweb.google.com/emparks/August2010#
You are sneaky. You held such grand promise. Promise of productivity for personal projects. (Holy alliteration.) Promise of gentle warm sun. Promise of plentiful garden harvests. Promise of relaxing vacations.
The girls of 3LW can back me up here: I'm getting a little tired of your broken promises, promises.
I got through not even half of my summer projects. Utah summer sun is SWELTERING. I am sick of looking up recipes for zucchini. Family vacations make me gain weight. Some days you simply left me to a dark cool room, alone, to suck on an otter pop. Your heat drove my dog to sleep on the cool floor of the bathroom, by the toilet, where I would find him looking like an exhausted hungover teenager every morning.
You'd think that after living in Provo for four years I would learn to not be seduced by your awful winter with thoughts of your awful summer. Fall please rescue me. Please stay for more than two weeks this year before there is snow on Timp. Please help me save up my money for the boots that I really want and not spend it on silly things in the meantime. I don't care what Spring says about you, you are my favorite. Winter can have it's "cozy" cheer. Bah-humbug. That's only an euphemism for hermit yourself in your house breathing in cold virus contaminated circulated air. Summer, you make me sweat. I choose when I sweat, not you. Fall. Bring your changing leaves for me to crunch with my flip flops on evening walks when I need a sweater. THAT is cozy. Cozy crunchy. Yeah, bring that. And stay. At least for three weeks this year.
Sincerely,
SP
P.S. I only forgive you on evenings like this:
Or when I'm standing on a mountain and the wind is cooling me off like this:
Or when my eyes go all squinty in your brightness and all I can see is you making my husband look EXTRA special good:
oOOooo, or even both of us at the same time while standing in fabulously warm salty water that's perfect for rock skipping and has an unlimited supply of skippable rocks:
Only then, do I forgive you.
http://picasaweb.google.com/emparks/August2010#
8.17.2010
Static cling & name that movie
A humorously unfortunate mad grab from the laundry basket on the way out the door...
see more Poorly Dressed
Movie answer: Raising Arizona. (Isssa good one. Go watch it.)
see more Poorly Dressed
Movie answer: Raising Arizona. (Isssa good one. Go watch it.)
8.16.2010
Hail to the Chief
Broccoli from our garden. The community garden. Broccoli from our community garden that is dutifuly watched over by an old Indian Chief, named Lloyd, who sits in his folding chair in the northeast corner of the plot. Without fail he always happens to slip this in to our conversation with a wink and almost toothless grin when I see him:
C: I was telling my friends from the rez about my garden the other day.
S: Oh, yeah, what did you say?
C: I told them some nice white people gave me some of my land back.
8.11.2010
Dairy Scientist
1. Ate way too much food
2. Eric: "Wisconsin is like Pennsylvania with larger farms."
3. Visiting family is exhausting
4. University of Wisconsin-Madison has an entire building for Geological Science...
5. Chiggers suck
6. New baby cousins make the world go round
7. Poking around in county courthouses for family records is very educational
8. Listening to my grandpa tell stories about what we found... much more hilarious and informative
9. People should talk to their grandparents more
10. Eric is changing his major to dairy science. Blast you delectable, 140 calories a bite, squeakably fresh cheesecurds!
11. It was really bright this day apparently.
7.09.2010
Found...
I was cleaning off my memory card last night and look what I found... our short, short life in Florida together when I would go down to visit Eric. Our last weekend there, when we knew he was moving back to Utah, we figured we might as well squeak in the Everglades. It was a fabulous day. Probably my favorite of all my visits. We found this massive roadside produce stand called, "ROBERT IS HERE." Boiled peanuts, fresh cut pineapple to order, fruit you'd never heard of, avocados the size of my foot, and a fresh honey tasting station with over 20 different flavors. It was the best regional produce stand I have seen outside of PA. Next, we went to the park and were literally less than five feet away from dinosaurs that could have eaten us whole. They were huge!, nuff said.
So, as we are driving away, a few miles down the road there is this crappy sign that says, "Now that you've seen the gators, COME EAT THEM!" I made Eric turn around and this is what we did:
I wish you could have met the guy that made it for us. The place was actually closing, but he said we looked like good touristy people that deserved his special Gator Basket. As he was frying it up he told us how he moved his family out of the Bronx to Florida so his kids would stay out of trouble and get a better education. I wish I had recorded the conversation because it was all in a luscious, thick, NY accent with tales of being shot at, drugs and jailtime, with an endearing Florida ending filled with loud grandkids and a Gator Basket with special sauce.
And yes, it does taste like chicken.
5.18.2010
Another Craigslist find...
Speaking of furniture shopping on Craigslist... have any of you viewed something you previously owned that someone else is now selling? How about the couch you and your spouse made... from particle board and the old cushions of a free sofa? This is actually the second time I've seen this. Haha, they dropped the price.
5.14.2010
Craigslist & Roller Derby Girl Boyfriend
I was gchatting with my friend Bri the other day about Craigslist. She is currently living with her hubster and new peanut for the summer in Chicago and has a really great summer project: Rental Redesign. (Apartment makeover on a $200 budget) You should take a peak at her blog. It involves a lot of Craigslist perusing, deal finding and well, redesigning. I have also been stalking the local online ads getting ready for our latest move to a pet friendly place only a few blocks away. So, instead of discussing the finer points of Craigslist we found ourselves lamenting the apparent lack of common sense some exhibit whilst posting something on the internet. She had found one that read, "Selling Cheap Stuff... won't last long!" While looking for that really great find there's a lot of weeding out that takes place. Weeding is mostly monotonous but at other times richly rewarding when you encounter an ad like this one: (treat yourself with the time to read it)
If vintage skates are your fancy click here.
If vintage skates are your fancy click here.
Better Marriage Blanket...
Oh, my heaven. Look what I just found. I love how it is marketed to married folk... "You may be stuck with your spouse for life, but you don't have to be to their gas!"
Check out the selling points:
Completely & Quickly Absorbs The Odor Of Flatulence
* A real solution to a very real problem
* Contains the same type of fabric used by the military to protect against chemical weapons
* Even works on top of bed sheets
* Makes a great wedding or anniversary gift too
BWHA! I can just hear the announcer, "Didn't know your were marrying a weapon of mass destruction?" Or can you imagine giving it as a gift? A nice dinner including "Lovey, lets experience the fresh air... we owe it to our marriage of ___ years," glasses tinkling in a toast.
Enjoy the five dollars off coupon!
Check out the selling points:
Completely & Quickly Absorbs The Odor Of Flatulence
* A real solution to a very real problem
* Contains the same type of fabric used by the military to protect against chemical weapons
* Even works on top of bed sheets
* Makes a great wedding or anniversary gift too
BWHA! I can just hear the announcer, "Didn't know your were marrying a weapon of mass destruction?" Or can you imagine giving it as a gift? A nice dinner including "Lovey, lets experience the fresh air... we owe it to our marriage of ___ years," glasses tinkling in a toast.
Enjoy the five dollars off coupon!
5.12.2010
Taking lunch to work...
Yes, we are living back in Utah. Well, I never left and Eric is back and no, we are not sad we are no longer going to be living in Boynton Beach. More on that later.
Today I am going to share with you a getting ready for the day conversation with EMP.
EMP: What times are you going to be home today in case someone wants the couch?
Me: 11-2 and after 4:30.
EMP: (yelling as he walks to the kitchen and thinking about lunch...) I'm taking the pasties in to work!
I choked on my milk. Anyone who is from Wisconsin/Michigan knows what a pasty is. The wives of Cornish miners would make these hand held meat/potato/carrot pies for lunch. These tasty little morsels are so good William Shakespeare even wrote about them. In short, I'm from WI and was missing me some pasty from the Dodgeville Bakery. So, I made them for dinner last night:
The punchline translated:
Yet another save by Urban Dictionary and smile brought to you by EMP.
Today I am going to share with you a getting ready for the day conversation with EMP.
EMP: What times are you going to be home today in case someone wants the couch?
Me: 11-2 and after 4:30.
EMP: (yelling as he walks to the kitchen and thinking about lunch...) I'm taking the pasties in to work!
I choked on my milk. Anyone who is from Wisconsin/Michigan knows what a pasty is. The wives of Cornish miners would make these hand held meat/potato/carrot pies for lunch. These tasty little morsels are so good William Shakespeare even wrote about them. In short, I'm from WI and was missing me some pasty from the Dodgeville Bakery. So, I made them for dinner last night:
The punchline translated:
Yet another save by Urban Dictionary and smile brought to you by EMP.
1.19.2010
Count down to flush...
So... we've been busy. Busy = half moving to Florida. Half = the Eric part. I'm currently attending my last semester at UVU and then I get to go join him in May. The holidays I wish had been a little more relaxing and restful. Haha, on both Christmas Day and our anniversary Eric was sick. I spent most of my time packing boxes, boxes, boxes. We figured it would be easier to sell as much of our belongings as possible ($12 four drawer dresser from yard sale, oil paints, kitchen cart, etc.) rather than moving it across the country. Just the renting of the U-haul truck would have been over $2000 not including the gas. I moved into a house in Orem, to save money, where I have my own room and get to play with two dogs: Orion and Pumpkin. Instead of living in a two bedroom apartment I now get to put the extra cash from rent towards monthly trips to visit husband, which I did this past weekend. After driving across the country Eric began work last week and is officially a Hydrogeologist..."BACK OFF MAN! I'm a scientist." Meanwhile, I'm banging out a heavy credit load and living like a hermit in my little room. It's all worth it though when I get to have Sundays like this last one where I got to go on a walk with husband in Delray Beach... he says hello. (Blogger wasn't uploading my vid, so until I get that figured out here is the youtube version)Oh, and also when I get to go through Chicago/O'hare to use this toilet:
11.26.2009
the results are in
Howdy. We have some real news this time. First of all it's thanksgiving and we're going to eat this:
Also, we're moving here:
I got a job offer as a hydrogeologist for a groundwater and environmental consulting firm in Boca Raton, Florida where it will be my job to help keep nastys like arsenic and chlorinated solvents out of the water systems. We're both pretty excited. We actually both got to fly down and visit the company and the town last week. Our airplane had to be de-iced when we left Salt Lake City but in Boca, the ocean was about 78 degrees and the birds were singing. Also there were a lot of old people.
Also, we're moving here:
I got a job offer as a hydrogeologist for a groundwater and environmental consulting firm in Boca Raton, Florida where it will be my job to help keep nastys like arsenic and chlorinated solvents out of the water systems. We're both pretty excited. We actually both got to fly down and visit the company and the town last week. Our airplane had to be de-iced when we left Salt Lake City but in Boca, the ocean was about 78 degrees and the birds were singing. Also there were a lot of old people.
11.15.2009
Florida...
So, here's the deal...
Depending on an interview coming up this week we may in fact move to what our friend Adam refers to as the wang of the United States:
Eric has been in talks with a company out of Boca Raton for a position as a Hydrogeologist for quite some time now. They had mentioned wanting to fly him down for a second interview and said they would call to schedule the details. Well!, Monday he gets off the phone and looks at me and says, "So do you want to go to Florida next week!?" Immediately the synapses in my brain fire to pictures of sandy beaches and warm breezes only to then fall upon this question that I posed to Eric, "Why do they want ME to come?" So, I called my mom, who by occupation speaks the language of "hiring practices within the big kid career realm" and asked her opinion. After doing so, I realized this company's willingness to fly me across the country has everything to do with wooing us to the high cost of living (80% higher than Provo) that is Boca Raton (hello, $700 quarterly HOA fee) as well as making sure I'm not going to cause any sort of domestic disturbance for one of their potential employees by being a psycho wife that calls her husband at work eighty-four thousand times a day. How will they determine this? Well, they are taking us out to dinner which apparently is my opportunity to convince them I am a non-crazy sort of female... First impressions may help me in this cause so here is where the two people that follow this blog should submit their two cents.
I don't know what to wear.
Eric is no help. Sometimes I'll ask him which high heel to wear with an outfit to church on Sunday and he gives me a lamentable stink face that says, "Why do you even wear those torture devices at all? Also, tall girls are intimidating." I've gone through my closet... this is what I've come up with. Please take your pick and let me know your preference. I no longer live with five girls, with five other closets, and fashion advice in order to make a confident selection.
Things to keep in mind:
1) The difference in weather...
2) Being that it IS Florida, are people more laid back, due to their annual intake of sun resulting in heightened Vitamin D production, such that a business casual dinner is more informal in terms of dress?
3) These people are scientists... not power attorneys, which I'm assuming may mean they prefer practicality over show.
4) I have no idea what restaurant we are going to.
5) Eric will be wearing a tie.
6) We are getting off the plane, stopping at the hotel and then going straight out to dinner.
7) Obviously, I'm overthinking the whole thing.
We fly out on this Thursday the 19th, so take your pick and two cent away!
Depending on an interview coming up this week we may in fact move to what our friend Adam refers to as the wang of the United States:
Eric has been in talks with a company out of Boca Raton for a position as a Hydrogeologist for quite some time now. They had mentioned wanting to fly him down for a second interview and said they would call to schedule the details. Well!, Monday he gets off the phone and looks at me and says, "So do you want to go to Florida next week!?" Immediately the synapses in my brain fire to pictures of sandy beaches and warm breezes only to then fall upon this question that I posed to Eric, "Why do they want ME to come?" So, I called my mom, who by occupation speaks the language of "hiring practices within the big kid career realm" and asked her opinion. After doing so, I realized this company's willingness to fly me across the country has everything to do with wooing us to the high cost of living (80% higher than Provo) that is Boca Raton (hello, $700 quarterly HOA fee) as well as making sure I'm not going to cause any sort of domestic disturbance for one of their potential employees by being a psycho wife that calls her husband at work eighty-four thousand times a day. How will they determine this? Well, they are taking us out to dinner which apparently is my opportunity to convince them I am a non-crazy sort of female... First impressions may help me in this cause so here is where the two people that follow this blog should submit their two cents. I don't know what to wear.
Eric is no help. Sometimes I'll ask him which high heel to wear with an outfit to church on Sunday and he gives me a lamentable stink face that says, "Why do you even wear those torture devices at all? Also, tall girls are intimidating." I've gone through my closet... this is what I've come up with. Please take your pick and let me know your preference. I no longer live with five girls, with five other closets, and fashion advice in order to make a confident selection.
Things to keep in mind:
1) The difference in weather...
2) Being that it IS Florida, are people more laid back, due to their annual intake of sun resulting in heightened Vitamin D production, such that a business casual dinner is more informal in terms of dress? 3) These people are scientists... not power attorneys, which I'm assuming may mean they prefer practicality over show.
4) I have no idea what restaurant we are going to.
5) Eric will be wearing a tie.
6) We are getting off the plane, stopping at the hotel and then going straight out to dinner.
7) Obviously, I'm overthinking the whole thing.
We fly out on this Thursday the 19th, so take your pick and two cent away!
11.13.2009
Almost there.
I turned in the seceond draft of my thesis today, and it looks like I'll have my thesis defense on December 1st. So if any of you find yourselves lying awake at night wondering whether or not you could use frequency domain electromagnetic induction or shallow high resolution seismic to characterize shallow hydrogeology in arid saline soils, just let me know... I'll send you a copy.
11.06.2009
Rodents
We have rodents. Pet ones, that is. We've had two gerbils for quite a while now, still not dead, thanks to our supurb parenting skills. We just keep giving them all the PVP pipe their liitle teeth can handle and they keep living. We're ready for human babies now.
But now we also have two rats. Yep. We're the weirdos with four rodents. We didn't pay for them though I promise. We got them for free in order to rescue them from a boa constrictor. The rats are actually pretty cool. They sneeze a lot and sniff around.
You may remember earlier this year we made a couch. Well, it was pretty fun to build, but it wasn't terribly comfortable so we sold it on craigslist. Say goodbye to our homemade couch.
But now we also have two rats. Yep. We're the weirdos with four rodents. We didn't pay for them though I promise. We got them for free in order to rescue them from a boa constrictor. The rats are actually pretty cool. They sneeze a lot and sniff around.
You may remember earlier this year we made a couch. Well, it was pretty fun to build, but it wasn't terribly comfortable so we sold it on craigslist. Say goodbye to our homemade couch.
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