It makes me feel like time is moving so much faster, when I realize it's time for...

I read The Un-Mom's post for RTT first and she noted that she usually has a plan for her RTT post. Plan? What is this plan that you speak of? My whole blog is based on brain farts and rantings, god forbid I actually think of something in advance. Hence the sporadic nature of my posting.

***

Our neighbors across the street are nice enough people with really great, well-behaved kids (from what we see anyway). They have two Labs, which usually bark when we go by with Jake on a walk, but also don't seem to be too bad. Until the mentally-handicapped dude from up the street volunteers to take them for a walk. Then the yellow Lab goes berserk-retarded-apeshit barking non-stop, the whole time they're walking. Either (a) he totally senses how truly creepy the dude is, or (b) he's horribly neurotic and gets so spazzed out when he gets to go out that he just can't control it. And of course, the dude thinks it's funny (just like how he thinks it's funny to set off his parents' car alarm over and over and over, at 11:00 at night) and does nothing to stop the poor dog. Now before you start knocking me for saying somewhat unfriendly things about a handicapped man (he was shaken as a baby, is the story), you need to meet the guy, then you'll totally understand. There's enough spark in his eyes to make you believe he's cognizant and taking advantage of people thinking he's harmless. Creepy.

***

I've never gotten zits on my back until today, and it's a friggin monster. B was scratching my back for me & ran across it, and of course tries to squeeze it, and when I start squealing in pain he goes 'oh it's too deep yet.' Yes, we're one of those couples. Sorry.

***

I stopped by the library tonight & picked up a few items I'd had reserved. I am not ashamed to admit that my taste in literature can be classified as strictly 'escape literature,' as my high school english teacher called it. I don't like to have to think very hard about what I read. I read for fun, to forget about the stress of the day. So I picked up two Dean Koontz books I've been meaning to check out. Classy! If anyone ever wants to recommend something good, send me a comment or email, I'm open to try just about anything really as long as it's not uber-cerebral.

I also picked up the Twilight soundtrack. I made a note of this on Twitter tonight (follow me and my randomness all week long!) - I read the books, and really did not like them. I even went so far as to post an anti-Twilight 'bumper sticker' on Facebook. "J.K. Rowling proved that some children's books should be 500 pages long. Stefenie Meyer proved that some should definitely not." Sums it up pretty well I think! I'm not going to go into full-on rant mode about it right now, but I will say this: the soundtrack kicks some serious ass. I haven't decided if I want to see the movie yet though. I might cave just to see these in the next one:

Werewolves. With those sexy little hip muscles. Humminahummina.

***

For those of you folks that don't know me, I grew up in the country. We had a nice piece of property, a house on a river, and a big barn, but no livestock. (We tried having chickens once but the coyotes ate them.) But one of the things B and I talk about all the time is having an honest-to-god homestead out in the country, with a huge vegetable garden, chickens, goats, maybe a milk cow, lots of dogs, a great big barn, the whole shibang. I cannot wait. We have a modest little veggie garden, but all it does is make me want more.. and of course more time to work in it too.

One key element to this plan is the barn. It'll need to be big, with room for the animals at one end, B's workshop at the other, and a loft for me to turn into a studio. I have this idea in my head about creating mixed-media artwork made from fabric scraps from work, stitched and glued onto boards with all manner of other materials. I'd also love to get back into doing batik, a form of fabric dying that uses wax to create negative spaces, and maybe acrylic painting again. But I need room! I need a space dedicated to it where I can blast some music, have good lighting, and solitude from the pets and other distractions. I really cannot wait.

***

Oops.

I just remembered that I had intended to post a recipe each weekend... looks like I've forgotten a few times now!  Honestly, I haven't tried anything new lately, although I did download several yummy-sounding recipes from Organic Valley.  I recommend you check them out - they have a ton of different things that sound a-ma-zing.  This salad is definitely on my list to try soon - watermelon & feta?!  Just thinking about it makes me salivate.

And yet, I'm still awake...

The critters had a very eventful weekend... or so you'd think if you were to walk into my living room right about now.  Lily is passed out to my left:

Jake is over on the other couch:

and Gyro is in the cat bed in the window (on top of the dog crate).

They're all racked out like they're the ones who planted all sorts of flower seeds, cleaned out the dead plants from last year, put fresh dirt in the window boxes, planted herbs in the cute little pots I painted a couple of weeks ago, washed the rug outside then dragged it back in & soaked it and the floor with Nature's Miracle to try to get rid of the cat pee smell (stupid little &$@#!'s), watered the gardens every evening, ran a million and one errands, did laundry, unloaded & reloaded the dishwasher, got groceries, cleaned the litterboxes, patched the grout in the shower... and still had time to blog about it.  

This isn't even half of what I'd initially hoped to accomplish either, but stripping wallpaper is not one of my favorite past-times, and I didn't feel like getting out the power driver to take down the coat rack that's going to be painted, so that's all been put off until next weekend.

(My herbies - Cilantro, Parsley & Basil.  The 4th pot in the back will have mint, and the tall branch is a cutting from our raspberries waiting for some Root-Tone.)

Diggin in the Dirt

Did you know that people spend somewhere around 90% of their time indoors?  When the sun's out, I try to reduce that percentage... hence the lack in posts recently!  

I've been planting seeds, cleaning up the leftover dead stuff from last year, reorganizing our garden hoses, and getting ready to put in our vegetables in the next week or so.  It seems a little early, but it was 85 this weekend... I think we skipped spring here in NW Ohio and went straight into June!

 

We're expanding our vegetable selection this year, and reorganizing our raised beds.  Last year we had an overabundance of tomatoes and cucumbers but only one lonely squash and no sweet corn... this year we're cutting back to two tomato plants, one bush cucumber and no peppers (since we didn't eat any of them last year).  We're putting the sweet corn all together in one bed in the hopes of better pollination this time, and we're moving the squash into one of the bigger boxes too.  We're adding zucchini, carrots, and radishes out back, and we've already put beans along the fence and peas on the trellis.  And on the front porch we've filled our big tiered pots with arugula, salad greens, and iceberg lettuce. 

 Our raspberries are looking great this year, but I don't know yet if the strawberries are going to bounce back... they froze one too many times over the winter I think, and they're not coming in very well.  I'll give them a little more time with the sun though.  We're sharing a small bed with our neighbor too, putting potatoes, pumpkins and watermelon there.  Not too bad for a tiny little yard!  If we owned this house rather than renting (from the coolest landlords ever, can you tell?), we'd try our hand at fruit trees even.  But I think that (and chickens!) will have to wait until we buy our own homestead!

I planted some new flowers this year too, from seed mostly so I'm crossing my fingers.  I started some Nasturtiums and California Poppies inside, but the poppies got too dry once and that's all it took to kill them.  But the Nasturtiums are now in the side bed outside the fence, and looking happy.  I'm excited to try them on salads this summer!  Just today I bought some more seeds to direct sow, Silver Princess Daisies and Painted Daisies (which I mixed together in my hand before sowing), and some Iceflower to go along the edge of the rock walls out front.  I also got two more packets of California Poppies and put them in the fence bed too, to fill in a bit around the bulbs & Nasturtiums.  Lastly I got some Lupine and Morning Glory to put in the back beds where it's a bit more shady, and very empty!  We have one trellis that's always been empty since we moved here, so I'm going to send the Morning Glory up it.  I had also gotten some more Hosta and Daylily roots that I planted last week that are coming up nicely.

I'll be sure to post more pictures as the season progresses!

I remembered!

On my way to work this morning I reminded myself that it's Tuesday, therefore don't forget to do Random Tuesday Thoughts! And here I am, remembering! This is a milestone for me, which is kind of sad. I'm not quite 30 but I have the memory capacity of an 80-year-old. Gee, wonder who I get that from? *coughMomcough* She's one of those moms that has to run through the whole list of names available before she gets to yours. "Deb-Bob-Tim-Alice-oh goodness, that's the DOG..."

Last Friday my bro-in-law texted me asking what I wanted for my birthday. I told him I wanted a gift card to Home Depot. He was like, really? That's it? I'm going to (fancy outdoor shopping mall with some kick-ass stores), and I replied that I'm old, ponies and barbies just don't cut it anymore. I find it kind of sad that I couldn't think of any clothing or accessories or fun items to ask for... all I could think of was sweet, I can load up on annuals and the paint I want for the kitchen! *sigh*

My darling husband is wearing a tan hoodie today. I pulled up beside him at the intersection where we go our separate ways in the morning, and he had his hood up, which made him look like a Jawa. I called him to tell him, and mentioned it could be more Sand Person-esque, and of course he immediately went into the huuuuuuuuuunnh huhuhurrrnnn noises. And since he's closer to 8 years old than his actual 30, this will be going on all day now.

It's amazing to me how a simple project that should really only take a couple of hours, maybe half a day max, can be drug out into a week-long fiasco (sometimes longer even) simply due stupid people with no common sense. This is why I wish I could work for myself, or at least do my job from home so I can more easily ignore the idiocy that surrounds me.

I have fifty boxes of antihistamines at home, but none in my little pharmacy box at work. And I'm phlegmy as hell today. Sorry for the hacking & snorting, co-workers. But then, everyone else sounds the same as me, so... not sorry.

Tonight is buy-one-get-one-order-free wing night at our local chain bar & wing joint. Yum, honey barbecue and yellow fizzy beer!

Previews for this summer's movie season have me all jo-jo'd up! This and this and this and this... oh and don't forget this for Merlin's sake!

I just thought of something I could have asked for, for my birthday... a sleeping bag. Whoo hoo! What?

Torn

I like to vent.  (Thank you, Captain Obvious!)  Seriously though, I'm one of those people who tend to take things too personally (okay Cap'n, I think we get that too...) and if I don't get it out somehow I dwell on it endlessly until I can't take it anymore and blow it even more out of proportion and then kablooey, it's an ugly mess that only solvent-based cleanser can take care of.  And we all know how bad solvent-based cleansers are.

So when I started this blog, my intention was to vent here, about whatever I wanted - my husband being an ass, work-related bullshit, life in general, whatever - this was going to be my space to say what I needed to say so I could move on (and we can all see how effective THAT is).  But now, I've opened it up to family, the aforementioned husband, and work friends, by posting a link on my Facebook page.  While I don't know for certain who is reading - besides my mom, that's kind of a given! - I am now regretting my choice to open this up.  Not so much to family, because they know & understand a little better, but it seems lately that a lot of my venting is about work - I still love my job, but the last post is evidence of the frustrations it can bring - so I'm really hoping that none of my co-workers are reading, or if they are, that they know & understand as well.  

I make a point to never use names (except for B) and I disabled the link that cross-posted to Facebook, but I'm debating about deleting the link to it entirely, just to cover my ass.

Any thoughts out there?

I missed one in there somewhere.

Last week was spent sweating and stammering and trying not to make an ass of myself, so I forgot about RTT. I think I have an adequate excuse, right?

***

My office dress code has a little bit of leeway in it, I'm discovering. The sales department seems to be a little stricter about the definition of 'business casual' than the rest of the office, but I've been sticking with their rule despite being promoted out of the department. But today my design co-worker is wearing jeans - nice, dressy jeans, but jeans - so I'm totally taking a page from her book tomorrow. None of my dress pants are ironed anyway, so it's either abide by the rules and look like a hobo, or stretch the rules and actually look nice. Ironic, I think.

***

I made the mistake of visiting the Apple Store when I was in Chicago last week. When B-Dubz got his iPhone, I dug it and thought maybe I could go for one. Then my contract with V-zon came up for renewal, and I stuck it out, kept our same inexpensive data-less plan, but went for a newer phone. I like it, it does its job, I'm not paying any more than I did... but dammit the iPhone is COOL. But I have absolutely no need for it. *repeat incessantly*

... now, an iPod Nano, on the other hand...

***

I'm the most self-critical person, I swear. When I was studying art in college, we had to present our 'manifesto' as part of our graduation requirements, and mine was based around the idea that I'm not qualified to be an artist because I beat myself down too much about my work. I still do! I just caught myself doing it about my writing. I'm not funny or entertaining like all the bloggers and authors I love. I don't have a distinctive voice like they do. I just write. I'm a good writer, but not an entertaining one. Copy, I can do. Stories, not so much really.

***

Home-made Starbucks is never quite the same. If only I had some French Vanilla creamer, then I'd be close... but powdered cocoa and office coffee does not a mocha make.

Might take some convincing.

This week's presentations went really well.  By the end I was running about 20-30 minutes, when it's really supposed to last an hour... which gave the sales guy some more time to do his pitch.  I definitely will be talking to the boss about marketing this presentation differently from now on.  It's obviously successful and a great way to get in front of designers and architects that we probably would not otherwise... but by limiting who we are willing to present it to we're totally shorting ourselves.  Hopefully he'll agree, and I'll have my job back (figuratively speaking).

Chicago this round has been great as usual... chilly and windy, but sunny.  The wind today cut right through you, so I've spent most of the time inside.  I switched hotels today, from the Affinia to the Burnham, River North area to The Loop.  The River North is a bit nicer, but The Loop is closer to the museums that we want to visit tomorrow.  Besides we don't need to be doing any more shopping!  

There's been competing noise-makers outside for most of the day today... a couple of kids banging on plastic buckets which isn't so bad, they're pretty talented.  But the hellfire-and-brimstone street preacher is getting on my nerves.  He has a mike and mini-speaker, and since I'm on the third floor of the hotel I can hear him pretty well.  I was going to take a nap today, but I just can't sleep with that kind of noise.  Normal street noise I can deal with okay, but banging and yelling like this, not so much.  But I know when we go to sleep tonight they'll be gone.  The Affinia was right next to the fire station, and when CFD trucks started up their sirens it made me jump a mile every time, especially at 3 a.m., so this is really nothing in comparison!

B & his brother are on their way, and I have a mile to walk to meet them at a friend's place.  I might just make B get a cab if it's too cold though!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Whee! Now I can say a bunch of stupid stuff, and have a reason for doing so! Thanks, Un-Mom & Captain Dumbass!

• On Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Chicago episode, he made a point that I totally agree with.  He said that Chicago is one of the last true cities in the U.S.  Like, real metropolis, as opposed to urban sprawl.  This city grows on me more and more every time I visit.
• Hyatt's Corporate Headquarters in Chicago are beeeyooteefull.  Bamboo, carved wood staircases going up, and frosted melamine going down, lots of opulent touches here and there.  Loved it, but still I have to wonder, is it really necessary?  Couldn't that money be better spent somehow?  
• The hairdryer in my hotel room did weird things to my hair this morning.  Static and excessive frizz ensued.
• I had a hole in the toe of my sock today.  But I will not be throwing them out, oh no!  I will learn to darn.  Welcome back to 1850, when you didn't replace things arbitrarily, but actually tried to fix them first.  What a concept!
• I get to sleep in tomorrow, but yet I had my pajamas on around 7:00 this evening.  A whole day of trying to sound like you know what you're talking about will wear you out!
• Another interesting quirk about this hotel... pillow options.  There was an actual pillow menu on my bed when I arrived, and I have the option to call housekeeping and request one of six different pillows.  I may have to try the memory foam type tomorrow.

Despite the excuse to write about whatever I please without having to justify myself, this is all I can come up with right now.  Kind of sad.

Heading out

I'm off to Chicago all of next week!  I finally get to teach that class I've been so excited about.  I hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.  The weather is supposed to be nasty the first part of the week and then warm up a bit by the end, which works out well because B and his brother are driving over Friday afternoon and we're all staying for the weekend.  I love walking around in Chicago, so I'm glad the sun will be out a little bit.

***

The other blog is up and running, and I'm pretty excited about it.  I posted links to it on Facespace and Mybook, and my fam and friends are already pretty enthused.  B even wants to contribute!  He's a good writer so I think it'll be something fun we can do together.

***

The party this weekend was a blast!  A few people couldn't make it, but we still had a great time.  We'll definitely have to do that more often once the weather gets nice!

Weekend Recipe

Every weekend I plan on sharing a new recipe that uses organic or fresh-from-the-garden ingredients.  This first one is a snack I love to make, then gorge myself on while watching a marathon of Tivo'ed shows on a Sunday afternoon!

Black Bean Hummus

Recipe adapted from The Daily Green

• 2 cups (one 15 oz can) organic black beans, rinsed and drained well 
  
• 1 cup chickpeas (half a can, organic if you can find them), rinsed and drained well 
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) -OR- substitute 2 tbs creamy natural peanut butter plus 1 or so tbs toasted sesame seeds, pureed in the blender
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• Season to taste with Cholula powder or taco seasoning for a kick
  
• Add sour cream a tablespoon at a time to get the desired consistency

Puree all ingredients in your food processor.  Add sour cream and seasoning until you reach the texture and flavor you like.  Serve with fresh veggies, pita bread or chips, or crackers.

The haps

Life has slowed down considerably, and I'm having a hard time with it. We're at that weird season where the sun is shining but it's not nearly warm enough to work in the garden, but sitting inside makes me feel guilty about wasting a beautiful day! Work is still slow as hell too, so I get home at night and really want to do something, anything, but I just wind up on the couch again. It's kind of depressing.

***

This weekend we're having a party, and honest to god party, with people and food and games and everything! B turned 30 last month and I turn 30 this month, so we're having one party. Some friends from Cleveland and Columbus are coming, and a bunch of B's friends from school, and a couple of my friends from work too. I just hope the weather holds out! It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow, but be sunny and mid-50's on Saturday. A little chilly, but we'll have a fire, and when the sun reflects off the back of the house the patio stays pretty warm. I hope it turns out well, because I'm doing a ton of food and I don't want it to go to waste. :-) So if you're around Toledo and not doing anything after 4:00 this Saturday, come by!! Brats & beer! Whoo!

***

I'm starting another blog today. I know what you're thinking... geez Jen, you barely ever write on this one, what are you gonna do with two? Well the other one is going to be strictly focused on the whole 'green' thing that I'm doing, with product reviews, links to good articles, and stuff that I learn along my way that might be interesting to friends and family. I'm going to share with my co-workers too. Right now I write a little newsletter once a month, but I know there are some folks who are more interested in this stuff than others, so I want to be able to share more with them too. So once I get the new place all set up, I'll post a link to it.